Athleticism

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 532, 19 April 1994, Page 7

Athleticism

His natural athleticism was an advantage on the ski slopes when at age seven he first took an interest in skiing. For a couple of seasons he attended a week-long yearly training camp with disabled skiers held at Whakapapa. Skiing with an artificial leg created new problems however, as it was without the natural 'give' of an ankle joint. A spe-cially-designed leg set an an angle compensated for the lack of movement. As a member of the Turoa Alpine Ski Club he skiied as good as, and frequently better, than a good number of able-bodied member s.

To cover subs and expenses he mowed the club room's lawns. His 'financial adviser', TASCI member Dave Scott, recalled: "All the money came to me and he wasn't allowed to spend it unless it was on something to do with skiing." "If he wanted to go to the pictures or do something else, he had to find some other source of revenue." The rest is history, as they say, although it wasn't until the early 80' s that he began to ski competitively. The tragic death of his father, Bill Cooper, in December 1982 had a profound effect on Patrick, then aged 13. "If anything, it made him

more determined to succeed," said his mother, Evelyn. "He wanted his father to be proud of him." Raising the necessary funds to representhis country has been an on-going struggle, made easier the past couple of years by grants from the Sports Foundation. Patrick' s work resume includes a stint as a builder's labourer, ski mechanic and labourer for the Department of Conservation. The quest for cash has seen him return from an overseas competition, board a south-bound train and arrive home by midnight in order to start a job the following morning. His mother recalled him

working up to 80 hours in a week, then coming home and sleeping 36 hours. "He can also be abominably lazy , or should I say he knows how to relax," she said. Patrick trialled for the Paralympics in 1984 but missed selection. He returned to training and represented New Zealand at the World Championships in Sweden in 1986. He again represented his country at the World Champs in the US A in 1 990, just six weeks after major reconstructive surgery to his knee. With only a month to train for the event, to his credit he managed fourth and fifth placings. Atthe 1988 Paralympics Turn to Page 10

Patrick home FROM PAGE 7 in Innsbruck, Austria he took his first Olympic medal - a silver - in the slalom. Up until the 1992 Paralympics in Albertville, France, where he won two gold medals (slalom/super G), Patrick had skiied and competed for 14 consecutive winters. He took a well-earned break from the competitive circuit and a year's working holiday, in Europe and NewZealandovertwo summer s. Winning two gold medals for the super G and slalom at the recent Paralympics in Lillehammer, Norway was a huge relief for Patrick after the disappointment of being disqualified in the downhill. A third medal - a bronze for the giant slalom, completed his winning form. His medal tally was bumped up by the addition of two more gold medals from the US Disabled National Champs earlier this month and brought the team's medal tally to 14. Speaking from an Auckland venue shortly after his arrival in the country yesterday, Patrick said retirement from the racing circuit is definitely an option, but not before he competes in the NZ Disabled Nationals at Whakapapa in August. "I had my sights set on defending my titles at the Paralympics," he said. "Now I've done that I'll have to sit down, assess the finances and consider my future." He returns to Ohakune on Wednesday to begin a stint of track maintenance with the Department of Conservation and a break before preparing for the upcoming Nationals. "The first thing I want to do is get a Johnny Nation' s meat pie and an L and P," he said. Members of the public are invited to attend a civic reception at the Ruapehu College hall on Thursday, organised by the Ruapehu District Council (see story front page.)