It’s a discipline that has him fitter than ever, despite being 33. He has gone from sleeping in to being a “morning person” and seeing the sunrise. He works out in both in-season and off. Cooper is all about going above and beyond.
Last year he started to train at 5am with his “original” crew; his little brother Moses, Jermaine Pangai, rugby league player Tevita Pangai Junior and Dyl Brunt. His recent Instagram posts are a montage of tough sweat sessions.
It’s a habit he has brought to Wallabies camp. He and his “roomie” Duncan Paia’aua, as well as Rob Leota and Pone Faamausili have been starting their day before sunrise. It is Faamausili who has benefited from this “habit” encouraged by Cooper.
“We would get up, work out early and we started planting seeds with Pone to help with his discipline so he could find better habits in life and footy,” Cooper says. “To see him where he is now from six weeks ago and he looks like a different man really. For me, I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing guys want more for themselves or to be better themselves rather than, you know, people feeding them the information that they have to do it. I’m super proud of him as a team member, also just as a man.”