By TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech University graduate and former Golden Eagle cross country and track & field student-athlete Anna Cooper (pictured on the right) was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and recently began treatment at Nicewonder Cancer Center at Bristol Regional Hospital.
Cooper will head to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in early November to continue treatment with her family right by her side. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Anna and her family with the costs associated with her care and donations received will be used for medical expenses, traveling costs, living expenses and other expense that may arise due to the far proximity of the hospital from the family's home in Bristol, Tennessee.
Those wishing to donate may do so here.
"I want to take a moment to attempt to describe how thankful, blessed, humbled and loved I feel because of you all," Cooper recently posted on her Facebook page. "I want to individually thank each and every one of you who has texted, called, commented, prayed, thought about, donated, shared, etc., but it appears that would be an insurmountable task. I am incredibly humbled by the kindness and compassion of strangers, friends, and loved ones, and honestly at a loss for words. To know that I have this many people in my corner, ready to fight this battle with me, means the absolute world to me. I am filled with hope, with love, with courage, and with strength because of you all. Please take comfort in knowing that you ARE making a difference.
"My only request is that you please continue to lift my family and I up in your thoughts and prayers. I will update as often as I can as we receive any additional information."
Cooper recently finished a four-year career with each of Tech's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field teams from 2014-2018. As a senior, she finished third or fourth for the Golden Eagles in each of the team's events.
In her final seasons of competition, Cooper helped the Tech track & field programs to new heights, as the both the indoor and outdoor teams captured their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference titles. She set a personal-best in the 800-meter run in the OVC Outdoor Championships while her team captured the top spot by a whopping 50 points.
Graduating with a bachelor's degree in human ecology, with a concentration in nutrition and dietetics, Cooper was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll each of her eight semesters as a Golden Eagle. She earned a place on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years of her athletic and academic career and also earned the OVC Medal of Honor as a senior.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
