Finding Strong

Book excerpt: A highly talented athlete, Leigh Cooper experienced self-image issues as a young girl which led to eating disorders and destructive behavior. While a student at Appalachian State University, she was abducted and raped by a man who five days earlier had abducted and brutally murdered another young woman. After three hours of physical and mental torture, Leigh managed to escape. She provided key evidence which allowed authorities to quickly capture her abductor, and her testimony resulted in the death sentence for this killer. Realizing she had been given a second chance on life, Leigh took control of her eating issues, resumed her college studies, and became one of the greatest runners in ASU history. After graduation, she coached high school cross-country for ten years, producing four state champion teams and six state runner-up teams. She became an advocate for victims, speaking at numerous rallies and events and was featured on national TV and in magazines. She was also a beloved high school teacher, a loving wife and mother, and a beacon of light admired and followed by an ever-increasing cadre whose lives were positively affected by her. Leigh died suddenly and unexpectedly of MRSA pneumonia in December, 2012, while in the process of writing this book. Her father spent the next four years completing the book with the help of other immediate family members.