Bradley Tyrone Thomas Cooper exemplified the concept
espoused by renowned Greek philosopher, Seneca that the most powerful individual is one who has himself in his own power. Here the unmistakable allusion is to Cooper’s display of prodigious strength as an
implements throwing champion and his penchant for walking softly among the noise of an existence
embellished by his accomplishment as a bonafied National Hero, a NCAA, Commonwealth, Pan
American and Central American and Caribbean Games Champion. Throughout such an epic journey
of achievement Cooper managed to exercise mastery over himself, as though he had no special
affectation over of his vigorous might.
Such a trait in Cooper was ideally suited to his successful pursuits in Track & Field, Volleyball, Softball and Soccer, all disciplines requiring a proportionate measure of strength and skill. Such a balance equated to an ability to exercise a calming influence on his peers first at C.C.Sweeting where
he was discovered by his House Master, the late James Burrows during intramural competition. He
subsequently attracted the attention of Volleyball Coach Tom Grant who recruited him to a
C.C.Sweeting Volleyball team that commenced dynastic era of that school’s first era of dynasty. So
deadly were his spikes that he earned the nickname, “Coffin.”
Cooper’s power attracted the attention of renown coaching master mind, Keith Parker who honed
his technique in the discus to the degree that earned national championship titles at the Junior College and Collegiate levels, at Miami Dade and Florida State University, respectively. Upon matriculation from university, Cooper embarked on an international career spanning the next two decades,
during which he successfully represent this country at the world level, with a Gold Medal at the
Commonwealth Games in Australia in 1982. The sum of his accomplishments is that Cooper’s
achievements in his events remain yet unmatched in the annals of Bahamian sports.
Upon his retirement in 1996, Cooper continued his contribution to national development him by
coaching, teaching and mentoring a vast number of junior athletes, all of whom he adopted as his
personal proteges . His professional affiliation with the College of the Bahamas he utilized as a tool
to effect that kind of evolutionary progress so archetypical of the dedicated and the determined.
Cooper’s altruism further revealed itself when he accepted challenges imposed upon him by diabetes, converting them into opportunities to further service his community, having emerged to become President of the Bahamas Diabetic Association as well as the Caribbean Diabetic Association.