‘An amazing man’

By Sage Merritt

Published: May 31, 2008

Fighting back against adversity isn’t new for Tony Cooper. During a trip to the International Martial Arts Tournament in Osaka, Japan, he was nearly sidelined due to illness.
“I got some type of food poisoning,” Cooper recalled. “I was supposed to take it easy that day, but I went to the tournament anyway. I was seeing double and triple the whole time, my temperature was real high.”
Cooper placed third in the tournament, despite his illness — not to mention the fact that the lifelong Waynesboro resident is legally blind. A form of macular degeneration, which manifested itself when Cooper was in eighth grade, robbed him of his central vision.
Despite what might be perceived as a debilitating challenge, Cooper has excelled throughout his lifetime in endeavors that challenge even those with perfect vision, rising to the levels of master instructor and 6th Dan in his martial arts practice, becoming a certified defensive tactics instructor for Virginia law enforcement, and earning a variety of championships and awards across the state for powerlifting.
Not content with his own accomplishments, Cooper has made a career of teaching others the practices at which he has excelled. Cooper has taught martial arts at the Waynesboro YMCA for more than 30 years, and helped found the Special Olympics Region IV powerlifting division, which he has coached for the past 20 years.
“He’s so committed,” said Patty Strickler, director for the area Special Olympics division. “He’s been really dedicated with the young men we have.”
Cooper and his powerlifting team will attend the Special Olympics Summer Games in Richmond this weekend.
“He’s an amazing man,” said Jeff Fife, executive director of the Waynesboro YMCA. “It’s pretty unique having someone of that skill set to have on your staff and as your friend. The life skills and the discipline he teaches are almost more important than the physical part.”
Cooper currently is using the tenacity and patience he learned as a martial artist to recover from a new challenge.
In early January, Cooper was struck by a car while pulling into a parking lot on his bicycle. The motorist, who claimed he did not see Cooper when the accident occurred, struck the back wheel of Cooper’s bicycle, spinning him around and into the side panel of the vehicle. The martial arts instructor sustained several debilitating injuries, including several fractures in one hand, a broken tibia and tears in the ligaments in one knee. He spent the night of the accident in Augusta Medical Center before being transported to U.Va. Medical Center for surgery.
Cooper is still in physical therapy for his injuries.
“It’s improving with each day,” Cooper said. “I’m getting back in the swing of things. They say in two years I should be totally back into what I was doing. All that will work itself out in time.”
To help raise money to pay off the martial arts instructor’s hefty medical bills and purchase him a new bicycle, the YMCA is sponsoring a concert on Saturday in Constitution Park. Dubbed “Cooperfest,” the event will feature local musicians Heather and Tony Berry and Tim Spears, the band Surge, and singer Colton Berry, of “American Idol” fame.
The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. and last until dark. Donations will be accepted and are encouraged.
“Tony would never do this for himself,” Fife said. “We’re real pleased with the response of the musical community that has come out to do this event.”