Louise Cooper

About

Louise Cooper, also known as Louise Cooper-Lovelace, is an American endurance athlete and two-time breast cancer survivor who has taught kindergarten at Heschel West in Agoura, California for decades. Just five months after finishing chemotherapy in 1999, she crossed the finish line of the Badwater Ultramarathon — 135 miles across Death Valley to Mount Whitney — in 40:14, an achievement that became one of the sport's defining comeback stories. Beyond Badwater, Cooper has raced nearly every edition of the Eco-Challenge adventure race (missing only the Morocco edition while undergoing chemotherapy), competed in Raid Gauloises expedition races, finished seven Ironman triathlons, and completed more than 70 marathons. She later became a leading figure at the Project Athena Foundation, serving as its chief inspiration officer and helping other women rebuild their athletic lives after cancer and other medical setbacks.

Notable Wins

• — Badwater 135 finisher 1999 (40:14
• — five months after completing chemotherapy)
• — multiple Eco-Challenge and Raid Gauloises expedition race finishes
• — 7 Ironman triathlons

Race History