COOKE Carol

Date of Birth: 6 Aug 1961

Age: 60

Gender: Female

Sport Class: T2

Place of birth: TORONTO, ON

Birth Country:

Canada

Place of residence : MELBOURNE, VIC

Residence Country:

Australia

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Cycling Road	Women's T1-2 Road Race	DNF
	Women's T1-2 Time Trial	2

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Fuji International Speedway	Women's T1-2 Time Trial	Finished
	Fuji International Speedway	Women's T1-2 Road Race	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

CYCLING ROAD

Rank	Event	Year	Location
Paralympic Games
1	T1-2 Road Race	2016	Rio de Janeiro, BRA
1	T1-2 Time Trial	2016	Rio de Janeiro, BRA
1	T1-2 Time Trial	2012	London, GBR
7	T1-2 Road Race	2012	London, GBR
Road World Championships
1	Women's T2 - Road Race	2019	Emmen, NED
1	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2019	Emmen, NED
1	Women's T2 - Road Race	2017	Pietermaritzburg, RSA
1	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2017	Pietermaritzburg, RSA
1	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2015	Nottwil, SUI
1	Women's T2 - Road Race	2014	Greenville, SC, USA
1	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2014	Greenville, SC, USA
1	Women's T2 - Road Race	2013	Baie-Comeau, QC, CAN
1	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2013	Baie-Comeau, QC, CAN
2	Women's T2 - Road Race	2018	Maniago, ITA
2	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2018	Maniago, ITA
2	Women's T2 - Road Race	2015	Nottwil, SUI
2	Women's T2 - Road Race	2011	Roskilde, DEN
2	Women's T2 - Time Trial	2011	Roskilde, DEN

ROWING

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
World Championships
6	LTA Mixed Coxed Four - LTAMix4+	2009	Poznan, POL	3:51.89

Caz ["When I moved to Australia it was something that my husband started calling me."] (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

Previous names:

Occupation:

Athlete, Motivational Speaker

Logistics - Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AUS

Languages spoken:

St. Kilda Cycling Club [Melbourne, VIC, AUS]

Warren McDonald [national]; Rebecca Dicello [personal], AUS, from 2014

Other sports:

She competed in Para rowing at the 2009 World Championships in Poznan, Poland. Before her illness she was a national-level swimmer in Canada and Australia. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; SportsDeskOnline, 29 Aug 2009)

2011 for Australia, World Championships in Roskilde, Denmark (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

She sustained a concussion in December 2013 and needed two weeks to recover. (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

She suffered a cracked rib in August 2012. She returned to action in time to compete at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, where she won a gold medal. (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

In 2009 she suffered a stress fracture to a rib. It took her six weeks to recover from the injury. (Athlete, 04 Jan 2011)

She began Para cycling in 2011 at age 50 in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

She previously competed in Para rowing but was unsatisfied with the level of national support she was receiving, so she decided to switch sports. "I just kind of fell into cycling. I was using a trike to ride back and forth to rowing training. When the rowing wasn't going to be moving forward, one of my rowing national team members, Alexandra Green, had switched to Para cycling and called to tell me they had a trike category. She talked me into taking part in the national Para cycling championships in 2011 and I haven't looked back." (cycling.org.au, 03 Mar 2015)

To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (australiancyclingteam.com, 16 Sep 2019)

Australian marathon swimmer Tammy van Wisse. (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

Her father, and coaches Rebecca Dicello and Peter Day. (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016; Athlete, 04 Jan 2011)

Philosophy:

"Dare to face your fears and believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything." (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

She was named Female Elite Para Cyclist of the Year in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 by Cycling Australia. (vis.org.au, 16 Nov 2015; pedalandtringtring.com, 01 Jul 2019; australiancyclingteam.com, 16 Dec 2019)

She was named Victorian Female Para Cyclist of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 by Cycling Victoria in Australia. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; pedalandtringtring.com, 01 Jul 2019)

In 2017 she received the Victorian Institute of Sport [VIS] Award of Excellence in Australia. (carolcooke.com.au, 07 May 2020; vis.org.au, 01 Nov 2017)

In 2016 and 2017 she was named Masters Sportsperson of the Year at the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards in Australia. (dsr.org.au, 22 May 2019)

She was named Victorian Cyclist of the Year for 2013 and 2016 by Cycling Victoria in Australia. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; cycling.org.au, 03 Feb 2017; ridemedia.com.au, 04 Nov 2014)

In 2013 and 2016 she was named Female Sportsperson of the Year at the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards in Australia. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; dsr.org.au, 22 May 2019)

In 2014 she was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia [AM]. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; msmelbournecycle.org.au, 01 Jan 2018)

She was named 2006 Victorian Masters Sportsperson of the Year at the Victorian Sport Awards in Australia. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; ms.org.au, 01 Jan 2018)

General Interest

Classification
T2 (UCI, 15 Mar 2020)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (Athlete, 06 Feb 2016)

Impairment Details
In 1998 she had been competing in the national masters swimming championships in Hobart, TAS, Australia, when she woke up with balance problems and double vision. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and used a wheelchair briefly before regular exercise and special injections helped her regain some mobility. (carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; cycling.org.au, 03 Mar 2015; paralympic.org.au, 01 Mar 2012)

General
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2001 she founded the MS [multiple sclerosis] 24 Hour Mega Swim, a charity event held in aid of MS Australia. It has raised more than seven million Australian dollars. She has also served as a member of Paralympics Australia's Athlete Commission, and as a board member of Cycling Victoria in Australia. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Jan 2020; skcc.com.au, 29 Oct 2019; smh.com.au, 17 Sep 2016; cycling.org.au, 03 Mar 2015)

AUTHOR
In 2015 she published a book called 'Cycle of Life - A Gold Medal Paralympian's Secrets to Success'. "I share my secrets to overcoming adversity, accepting change, finding your hidden courage and creating a winning mindset." (LinkedIn profile, 01 Apr 2015)

FROM CANADA TO AUSTRALIA
She worked as a police officer for 14 years in Toronto, ON, Canada, before marrying an Australian. In 1994 she moved with her husband to Melbourne, VIC, Australia. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Jan 2020; carolcooke.com.au, 29 Oct 2015; cycling.org.au, 03 Mar 2015)

Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/carol.cooke.921
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cazcooketheroadahead
https://instagram.com/cazcooke61
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-cooke-am-paralympian-speaker-author-a728201b
https://twitter.com/CazCooke
Athlete Website: http://carolcooke.com.au

Legend

:: Silver Medal
:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event
DNF:: Did not finish

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