LAUREL, Miss. (WHLT) – A Pine Belt man beat the odds after a life-changing accident in 2019. Doctors told Jason Cooper that he would never walk again, but he turned that challenge into motivation and is helping others do the same.
Cooper was a star athlete at Heidelberg High School when he was involved in a car crash in 2019. He was left paralyzed from the neck down.
“I’m a C-3, C-4, complete quadriplegic, basically, meaning I wasn’t able to have any type of capability of moving my arms or legs,” Cooper said.
At just 19, Cooper was told he would likely never walk or play sports again.
“The function that I had before my wreck, I probably wouldn’t be able to do them again. I won’t be able to play football, basketball, any type of sports or any type of sport activity.”
He refused to accept that outcome. Cooper took the diagnosis as a challenge. He committed to rehab and worked out three times a day. Slowly, Cooper began regaining movement in both his arms and legs.
During his recovery, Cooper said God revealed his next path – to become a fitness trainer.
“A lot of people don’t get a second chance in life. It’s just a God-given thing that He has given me. A lot of people want to tuck away their blessings, but I want to share my blessings with the world. If I can help someone overcome what they have, mentally or physically, that means the world to me,” he said.
Cooper trains clients at a Laurel gym, helping them push through limits as he did. He is currently working on a documentary about his journey. He plans to release “Adversity” this fall.