Profile of Gold

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 534, 3 May 1994, Page 21 (Supplement)

Profile of Gold

By

julie

Nation

Patrick Cooper smiles a lot these days - and with good reason. The 25-year old multi-medal-winning skiing sensation is at the top of his profession, currently the top ranked disabled skier in the world. And yet, throughout all the attention and publicity, Patrick remains ... well, Patrick. In a room full of reporters and camera crew with the attention focused solely on him, Patrick still manages to look as if he dosen't know what all the fuss is about. This quiet, unassuming attitude is his trademark, at least away from the ski slopes. In racing mode it's his 'all or nothing, gi ve-it-everything' mentality that has taken him to the top of the ski racing heap. Patrick' s incredible tenacity has stood him in good stead ever since the horrific accident at age fi ve that changed the course of his life. Accident The school bus that he ran in front of crushed both his legs, mutilating one beyond repair and horribly injuring the other. With part of his right leg lost, his left leg was saved but took long months to heal in Wanganui Hospital It was during that time that Patrick and his family decided there would be no concessions made for his

disability - life would resume as normal. Normality involved re-learning how to walk with the aid of an artificial prosthesis, and enduring the cruel chafing associated with it. It also meant frequent hospital visits to be refitted with a new leg whenever he outgrew the old one - often every six months. He threw himself back into school, determined to be "one of the bunch." He regularly walked from his home at the Junction to school, a distance of a couple of kilometres wearing his prosthesis, which frequently made his leg sore. He showed incredible stoicism by not complaining about the condition. "Sometimes he'd get sick of his leg and put it on the teacher's desk," recalled Ohakune Primary School teacher, Sue Murdie. School athletics were challenging; social sports such as rugby and soccer that required kicking were frustrating, so he was encouraged to take up hockey. The association lasted until age 16 - during that time he represented King Country in the Colts Under-16's team, playing with skill against able-bodied players. He attended Ruapehu College and managed to successfully divide his time between sport and education. He finished up at the end of Form 6 after sitting and passTurn to Page 11

Profile on Patrick Cooper, Ohakune 's Lillehammer golden boy From Pase 5 * 7 ^ "

ing his University Entrance examination. Patrick showed considerable ability as a gymnast while a member of Turoa Tumblers and excelled in the thrill of competition. He shared his mother's passion for horse-riding and rode competitively until the age of 15. He also shared the family love of the outdoors, tramping numefous tracks around the area. Swimming played a large part in his life and remains part of his training regimen when preparing for competitions. 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 specially-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 members. 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 represent his 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. Speaking from an Auckland venue shortly after his arrival in the country, 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 myfiiture."