Jacqui Cooper has represented Australia in the sport of aerial skiing for over 20 years. Recruited at the age of 16 to join the Techne Team, within three years Jacqui was representing her country at the World Championships in Lake Placid; by 1994 she was competing at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In 1999, she became a World Champion, and in the decade that followed, Jacqui Cooper dominated and revolutionised her sport.
In a long and decorated career, Jacqui has competed in 139 World Cup Events, nine World Championships and has been selected to five Winter Olympic teams, the first Australian Woman in history (Summer or Winter Games) to have enjoyed this honour. And with a record five world titles, 39 World Cup medals, 24 World Cup wins and three major World Championship medals, Jacqui Cooper is indisputably the greatest aerial skier of all time.
Jacqui’s sport, however, is unforgiving; she has multiple reconstructions for her knee, elbow, shoulder and hip. In 2001 she broke her back in an attempt to win a record third World Title; she went on and won it. In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics Jacqui shattered her knee and broke her leg just two days before scheduled to compete, destroying a dream years in the making.
In 2010, Jacqui competed in Vancouver after a year of intense hip and knee rehabilitation, shocking doctors and spectators with her brave attempt to be competitive, despite the odds. She spent most of the months leading into the competition in a wheelchair, learning to walk again, and gaining confidence in a sport that is often brutal and cruel. She stunned the world when she placed fifth, the best Olympic result of her career.
Jacqui continues to devote much of her time to various international sporting committees including the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Board, the AOC Athlete’s Commission, 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 addition to sport, Jacqui’s passion is the education of young people on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, being role models, pursuing your dreams, being active, and goal setting. Jacqui speaks to all levels of students had has travelled to remote Aboriginal communities in a drug awareness campaign. In 2001 Jacqui’s interest, knowledge and passion for clean sport saw her become a key presenter for the AOC in their national drug education program. Since 2010, Jacqui has been La Trobe Financial’s Company Ambassador.
Jacqui was recently a recipient of the Governor’s Award, presented at the Vic Sports Awards in 2008 for being a role model, a champion, and a woman successful in sport and in life.
Jacqui’s story is one of self belief, passion, triumph, tragedy and the ability to overcome adversity against the odds.
The Business of Sport
Jacqui spent twenty years in her sport; twenty years planning, learning, failing, overcoming adversity, developing, reinventing, striving and succeeding. She’s now described as the greatest Aerial Skier of all time.
Jacqui uses ten points in her presentation to link business to sport, and sport to business. She will tell you that all the same ingredients needed to be successful in business, were needed to dominate a decade in her sport. The fundamentals for being the greatest aerial skier of all time are also needed in business:
1. Goal set – plan.
2. Getting organised.
3. Learn the skill/craft. Keep the skills current.
4. Specialise so that you have a niche in the market.
5. Emphasising the importance continual growth.
6. Constantly reinvent yourself.
7. Persistence – adversity is everywhere.
8. Balance in work and life.
9. Process = outcome.
10. Performance.
Jacqui Cooper will tell you that she wasn’t a super talented athlete, believes she’s just a woman that had a passion – a real love affair with what she was doing. She worked harder than anybody else in her field, she followed a plan, she put processes in place and she was driven. She was determined, courageous, resilient and always had the self-belief that enabled her to overcome anything or anyone that got between her and hers goals.
Champion athletes keep training when the crowd has left the stadium, they keep training when the lights have been turned off; they become winners when no one is watching. The same goes for successful people in business.
Jacqui’s presentation entitled The Business of Sport includes:
The DVD montage of her career narrated by Channel 7 sports presenter Mark Beretta
10 key components linking the parallels between sport and business
Jacqui’s philosophy on the attributes of a successful person
Audience participation
Photo opportunities with her crystal World Cup and World Championship gold medal
WORLD TITLES
2008 World Cup Champion – Aerials
2007 World Cup Champion – Aerials
2001 World Cup Overall Champion – Freestyle Skiing
World Cup Champion – Aerials
2000 World Cup Overall Champion – Freestyle Skiing
World Cup Champion – Aerials
1999 World Champion – Aerials
World Cup Overall Champion – Freestyle Skiing
World Cup Champion – Aerials
OLYMPIC TEAMS
2010 Vancouver, Canada
2006 Torino, Italy
2002 Salt Lake City, USA
1998 Nagano, Japan
1994 Lillehammer, Norway
AWARDS
2008 Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year
Governor’s Award – Victorian Female of the Year
Victorian Institute of Sport Spirit Award
Freestyle Skier of the Year
2007 Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award
2001 Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award
2000 Australian Skier of the Year
2000 Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year
Victorian Sports Woman of the Year
Freestyle Skier of the Year
1999 Victorian (Sport) –- Young Australian of the Year
Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year
Freestyle Skier of the Year
1998 Freestyle Skier of the Year
Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award
1997 Special Achievement Australian Snow Sports Award
Jacqui Cooper Speaker topics include:
A View from the top (keynote)
Jacqui Cooper’s story is one of triumph, tragedy, defeat and success. It’s a story that makes you believe in the strength of the human spirit. Her passion, persistence and unwavering dedication to a sport that is brutal and cruel, is absolutely inspiring. Jacqui takes you on a journey – a journey that lasts 21 years in her sport. As well as being entertained and inspired, your audience will be left with a lasting impression that “success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
The presentation from Jacqui Cooper entitled “A View From the Top” includes;
DVD montage of her career narrated by Channel 7 sports presenter Mark Beretta
Stories from her childhood; events that shaped her future
Reliving inspirational and courageous moments in sport and life
Jacqui’s philosophy on the attributes of a successful person
Audience participation
Photo opportunities with her crystal World Cup and World Championship gold medal
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