By Rishab Jain

Carol Cooke is a three-time world cycling champion who is stubborn, determined and self-described as “pig-headed”.

"My mom taught me a lesson when I was very young," Cooke said. 

"If you couldn't do something one way, you had to think outside the square, or the box, and try and do it another."

On that single lesson, the now 61-year-old led herself to become a three-time gold medalist in paralympic cycling, finished third in the world para-rowing championship and qualified for the Masters swimming finals.

When she wasn't training or competing, Cooke also worked as a police officer, became an author, speaker, advocate, ambassador and fundraiser extraordinaire.

Canadian-born Cooke turned 61 a week before winning a silver medal in her home country's 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships T2 time trial race.

Cooke won silver in the women's T2 time trial, bringing her total number of medals from 2011 to 14.

However, Carol's journey was not easy. Doctors once told the three-time Paralympic gold medallist to live a life free from the sport after her MS (Multiple Sclerosis) diagnoses impacted her spinal cord and nervous system in 1998.

But with grit, stubbornness and perseverance, Cooke was determined to play sports. 

After her diagnosis, Cooke has won two Paralympic Games, three gold medals and nine World Championship titles.

While talking to Cooke, you could see that spark in her eyes, resonating with the will to keep doing more in sport.

“I just, it's not that I train or ride to make teams; it's because I love riding. And I love the feeling I get when I train.”

Her journey started when she was 14 years old, and she saw the opening ceremony of the Montréal Olympics in 1976, which changed her life forever. Carol gave her all to improve as a swimmer, but her goal was dashed when the 1980 Moscow Olympics were boycotted.

Even though her dream of being an Olympic swimmer appeared shattered, she did not waste time sobbing over the incident. The then-18-year-old tried new things and joined the Canadian police force. She worked as a Police Officer in Canada for 14 years, including four years undercover with the drug and prostitution squads. 

Cooke continued swimming; as the lone swimmer for the Toronto Police at the first World Police and Fire Games. Her love for swimming made her start MS (24-Hour Mega-Swimming) campaign in 2001. 

The police officer met her future husband and moved to Australia in 1994. Cooke worked as a swimming instructor before switching to delivery work at Australia Post. She quickly rose to a managerial position after leaving her profession and extended family behind.

All was going well for Cooke until a few weeks before her 37th birthday; she started to become sick and was diagnosed with MS in 1998. The doctor told Cooke to wave a white flag and put her affairs in order.

"I think the doctor who diagnosed me told me I would never do this 'silly sports stuff' again," Cooke said.

The thought of being a 36-year-old stuck in a wheelchair was not what Carol wanted.

"I think that was like what I say, like waving a red flag to a bull," Cooke said.

"Nobody will tell me what I can and can't do again."

She had a greater motive to confront him and point out what he had claimed she was incapable of doing. 

“However, this is what I'm doing, and it was fantastic. So, that inspired me to do that in a big way.”

Cooke took on the challenge of improving her health. She was 44-years-old when she got her life back on track, following six months of extensive physiotherapy. 

It was in 2005 that she turned her life around after swimming at the World Masters Games back in Canada the same year. She was invited to a paralympic talent day organised by Paralympics Australia. 

"I guess it was just the competitiveness in me that when I found out about parasport, that led me to think, 'oh, maybe I could do this'," Cooke said.

At the testing, she saw the age difference between her and other athletes; she did not shy away from trying new things as she always did.

"When I went to my first para, come-and-try-day type thing, or where they looked at us to what sport you could do and I was 44, and everybody else there was 20.

"So I think the oldest there with me was 20, and the rest were younger kids. But I just thought I'll give it a go and see what happens."

Cooke never thought of rowing as a sport, but accepted the challenge with open arms when she received an invitation to take up the sport.

However, no rowing club would accept her - Until she found Yarra's rowing club.

"So I found a rowing club that would take me on, and I took lessons on how to row.

"Eventually, two years later in 2007, tried out for went my first nationals, and then made the national team.

Cooke missed the ticket to the 2008 Bejieng Paralympics when her team fell short of qualifying by 0.8 seconds.

"it was the politics within the sport that led me to switch to cycling. And I'm really happy that I did because that was the last 11 years have been incredible with cycling."

Carol Cooke won three Paralympic gold medals, one in the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio Olympics and one silver in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Next year, Cooke will compete for the final time in the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Maybe.

"I never say never, because you just never know what could happen."