Graham Cooper is not only one of the amazing age-groupers who finished his first Ironman this year in Kona, he also contributed to one of the 90 Tips and Secrets (number #74) “When you're doing an Ironman, and it's your kid's birthday, and you want to wear a second tank top during the run, don't use a Marksalot indelible marker to wish your son a happy birthday." He says, "After about two miles, I started feeling really bad. By mile three, I was incapacitated - throwing up, intestinal distress, headache, etc.
"I sat down on the side of the road (thinking my day was over) and the fumes from the “Marks-A lot” started wafting up and I was gagging. I took off the t-shirt and recovered after 10 or 15 min sitting on the curb.
"Bummer to lose the time, but from where I sat at that point in the race, I'm happy to have finished,” he said. Graham is a two-time Ironman finisher and has competed in various other triathlons and ultra-marathons. He is also one of the top health care investment bankers with Deutsche Bank Securities.
He holds a BA in Economics from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University. He lives with his wife and two children in the hills of Oakland, CA.
Graham was also the 18th finisher overall in the Western States 100, which is a run conducted along the Western States Trail starting at Squaw Valley, California, and ending in Auburn, California, a total of 100 miles. The trail ascends from the Squaw Valley floor (elevation 6,200 feet) to Emigrant Pass (elevation 8,750 feet), a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4½ miles. From the pass, following the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850’s, the race goes west, climbing another 15,540 feet and then descending 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn.Thanks for the tip Graham! And congratulations!!!
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