Jacqui Cooper

Jacqui Cooper has represented Australia in the sport of Aerial Skiing for 20 years. Her career started in 1989 at Mt Buller when she was recruited by Geoff Lipshut (CEO of the OWIA) to join the Techne Team. Within three years she was already representing her country at the World Championships in Lake Placid New York; by 1994 she competed at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In 1999, just ten years after starting her sport she became a World Champion; the next ten years would see her dominate and revolutionise her sport.

In a very long and decorated career she has competed in 139 World Cup Events, nine World Championships and been selected to five Winter Olympic Teams. When Jacqui competed in Vancouver in February 2010 she became the first Australian woman in history (summer or winter Olympics) to represent Australia at five Games.

Her record five world titles, 39 World Cup medals, 24 World Cup wins and three major World Championship medals has left Jacqui as the greatest Aerial skier of all time (man or woman); an achievement that will go unbeaten for decades.

Her sport is unforgiving; she has had knee, elbow, shoulder and hip reconstructions. In 2001 she broke her back in an attempt to win a record 3rd World Title; she went on and won it. In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics she injured her knee and broke her leg just two days before the Olympic competition ending years of dreaming, willing and wanting.

In 2010, Jacqui competed in Vancouver after a year of intense hip and knee rehabilitation; she shocked doctors and surgeons by her will, inner strength and courage to make a brave attempt to be competitive at those games. She spent most of the months leading into the Olympics in a wheel chair, learning to walk again, and gaining confidence in a sport that is brutal and cruel. She stunned her rivals, coaches, and team mates when she came fifth; her best Olympic result in the 20 years.

“Jacqui Cooper is a true legend. She did not win a medal, but her performance in finishing 5th in the women’s freestyle aerial event epitomised all that is so great about Australian sport.” – Matt Miller, CEO Australian Sports Commission

In between training and competing in events Jacqui devotes much of her time to various Sporting Committees around the world making sure she can be a voice for her peers at a National and International level. Over two decades she has spent time on the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Board, the AOC Athlete’s Commission (Deputy Chair), Ski and Snowboard Australia Board, the Australian Institute of Sport Athletes Commission, the International Ski Federation (FIS) Athletes Committee, the FIS Freestyle Athletes Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athlete’s Committee and the WADA education committee.

In 2001 the AOC involved Jacqui in their national Drug Education program as a key presenter, her interest, knowledge and passion for clean sport made her a wonderful asset to that program. She lectured kids in schools, state sporting institutes, regional sporting academies, national federations, international athletes competing at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and athletes at Australian Institute of Sport.