Riding on: Statesville man challenges himself to help others

Lee Cooper was prepared to ride his bike 524 miles from Statesville to New Bern and back for the upcoming Bike MS Historic New Bern Ride.

He just loves riding that much.

But when fellow Landmark Church of God member Terry Sharpe heard about Cooper’s plans, he wasn’t going to let that happen, he said.

“I felt obligated to help him,” Sharpe said.

Sharpe coordinated with a driver to take Cooper to the two-day, 60-mile ride, which is scheduled for September.

The event, which has multiple rides around the U.S., raises money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

To enter the race, Cooper needed to raise a minimum of $300, a milestone that was easily reached by the help of several church members.

A lifetime of battles

Over the course of his life, many people have told Cooper to quit. He refuses.

“What does quit mean?” he said.

A native to Kentucky, Cooper was born into a mentally and physically abusive family.

“My stepfather used me as a punching bag,” he said.

But he kept pushing on.

At the age of 3, Cooper was diagnosed with brain cancer. He conquered that within two years.

And in 1991 at the age of 15, with permission from both sets of parents, he married his wife, Lisa. The couple met in school when they were both 13.

“When she first spoke to me I turned cherry red,” Cooper said. “She spoke French, and I had no idea what she was saying.”

About two years later in 1993, the couple’s vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Lisa was six months pregnant.

Cooper doesn’t recall anything about the accident, he said. “That’s what bugs me the most.”

Lisa and the couple’s unborn child died in the crash.

Cooper survived, but he suffered a major brain injury. He was in a lengthy coma, and even after two years of therapy, he struggled with reading, writing and speaking.

“I had to learn how to do everything over again,” he added. And he still struggles with written and verbal communication.

His path has been difficult, but “I have to fight … because no one will give me a chance. I have to show them all wrong.”

Taking a ride

Despite his struggles, Cooper could still ride a bike. He first began cycling around 2001, and was soon biking for various causes and charities across the nation.

“When I’m on my bike, I feel alive,” Cooper said. “I feel good.”

He’s ridden to raise money for programs like Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Even today, he can be seen in the highlighter-yellow T-shirt with "M.A.D.D." in bold red letters.

Cooper said he hopes to raise a total $500 for MS.

Headed to the coast

In preparation for the ride, Cooper and Sharpe brought the old, steel frame Cyclepro road bike to Statesville bike shop First Flight Bicycles.

Workers tuned up the bike and checked the brakes and gears to make sure it is safe. He also got new tires.

While in New Bern, Cooper will stay with other riders about two miles away from the race site at Twin Rivers YMCA. The YMCA will also offer breakfast for the riders before they depart both Saturday and Sunday, he said.

Cooper has no plans to quit.

He won’t stop riding. And he won’t stop helping others.

“I’m a survivor,” he said.

Want to donate?

Visit Cooper’s team page -- Team ICE -- on the National MS Society website at http://bit.ly/2bYjKlE. Donations can also be made to Team ICE over the phone at 855-372-1331.