[PMP Profile] Phil Cooper to Ride Across America

Phil Cooper, president/CEO of Cooper Pest Solutions and BedBug Central, Lawrenceville, N.J., is celebrating his upcoming 50th birthday in a way most people can’t imagine. He’s riding his bike across the United States — from Yorktown, Va., on June 1 to San Francisco on Aug. 1.

Every year, Cooper rides his bicycle in September on behalf of multiple sclerosis. He’s raised more than $250,000 in the past 19 years as part of the City to Shore ride.

However, 2012 will be different as he celebrates his 50th birthday (July 11) riding across the entire United States for MS. He will be joining 12 to 15 other riders coast to coast as part of the Bike the US for MS fundraiser. Cooper’s portion of the ride is called “Phil Across America.”

On the website, www.philacrossamerica.com, readers can follow Cooper’s training, which includes lots of time spent with his personal trainer and team nutritionist. Since Dec. 1, Cooper has lost 11 pounds, and he plans on losing another 19 by ride time.

“My food intake has also gone under a drastic change with my team nutritionist Shara Aaron leading the way and with also a bunch of help from Amy Ogle in San Diego (wife of Jamie Ogle, Lloyd’s Pest),” Cooper said. “I will be sharing on my blog some of my really cool recipes that I have created that fit into my new nutritional scheme. Amy did her master’s on cross-country endurance rides so she is well versed on this stuff and is a great addition to my team.”

Additionally, every two weeks, Cooper posts a new poll question on the website about how trainer Mike Urban “should hurt Cooper.” The most recent question, “How Should Mike Hurt Phil This Week?” has the following choices:

• Killer complex — weighted bar press, row, clean and press, 1 minute mountain climbers, 1 minute jumping jacks, 15 burpees (4 sets in 20 minutes)
• 50 pushups with 15 pound dumbell (one arm each)
• Countdown suicides with pushup at end of each suicide (10 by countdown of 2 )
• 50 burpees (standing into a squat into a pushup back to a squat back to standing equals 1 burpee)

Cooper’s fans can do more than just vote on his next training obstacle. He’s inviting friends, family, pest management industry peers — and anyone else — to join him on the ride, for as little as one day or as many as you can ride. (See links below to learn more). “You simply pack some bike gear and fly into a city along the route, and we take care of the rest,” Cooper said. “I will have a bike, tent, air mattress, blanket, pillow and food.”

Cooper is accepting donations on behalf of two MS charities this year: Bike the US for MS and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. To donate, visit www.philacrossamerica.com/biketheus/index.php/donate/.

Bike the US for MS is the parent organization for the ride. Proceeds from 2012 will fund home-modification projects across the United States and will support research and treatment at the University of Virginia’s James Q. Miller MS Clinic in Charlottesville; Swedish MS Center in Seattle; and Fairview MS Achievement Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been Cooper’s traditional avenue of directing MS funds. Founded in 1946, the National MS Society is the only volunteer-led health organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, alleviation and cure of multiple sclerosis and the only volunteer-led MS organization that meets the standards of all major agencies that rate nonprofit groups. The Greater Delaware Valley Chapter (for which he specifically rides) was established in 1954 by noted Philadelphian Thacher Longstreth, and is one of the largest of the society’s chapters.

Cooper is blogging about three times a week and Tweeting at least once a day about his training. Laura, his wife, also has started a weekly blog to add a different perspective.

Visit the following to learn more about Cooper’s ride:
www.philacrossamerica.com
www.twitter.com/PhilAcrossUS
www.facebook.com/PhilAcrossAmerica
www.youtube.com/philacrossamerica