Get Inspired
For Alana Cooper, this run is about more than crossing a finish line. It’s about honouring the past and helping shape a better future.
Alana is 22, born and raised in Australia, and a recent graduate of a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Honours) from Monash University. She has always loved health and fitness, spending her time in the gym and out running. In 2026, she’s taking on her first half marathon, a challenge that has pushed her both physically and mentally.
But her motivation runs much deeper than the distance.
Alana grew up with Deaf grandparents on her mum’s side of the family. Being raised alongside the Deaf community shaped how she sees the world and taught her the importance of pride, resilience, and belonging. Through her grandparents, she learned what it means to truly show up for people and to value community above all else.
As she’s grown older, Alana has often reflected on what her nan and pa didn’t have access to as Deaf children. Ongoing support. Inclusive spaces. A world that fully recognised and embraced Deaf identity.
Her nan passed away in 2020. On December 17th 2025, just before Christmas, Alana lost her pa, Peter McCormick, a man whose impact on the Deaf community was nothing short of extraordinary.
Peter dedicated decades of his life to Deaf sport. He played for Victoria in Deaf football in the early 1970s, coached across multiple eras, and held leadership roles including President of Deaf Football Victoria. He was a Life Member, a Hall of Fame inductee, and the namesake of the Peter McCormick Medal, awarded to the coach of the winning team.
But beyond his achievements, Peter was known for his heart, not just within the Deaf community, but within his family.
Adopted as a child, Peter built his own sense of belonging through family, Deaf sport, and community, and spent his life making sure others felt welcome and valued.
He was always there. He never missed a school event, a birthday, or a milestone. Every memory Alana holds close, her pa was part of it. Cheering from the sidelines, showing up without question, and making sure his family felt supported, loved, and seen.
Everywhere he went, whether it was Deaf Football Victoria or the Melbourne Deaf Cricket Club, Peter made people feel welcome. He asked how you were and genuinely cared about the answer. He was often the first to arrive and the last to leave, sharing stories, laughter, advice, and his famous trademark signs that brought joy to so many. Deaf sport wasn’t just something he volunteered for. It was family.
Peter’s life showed what’s possible when Deaf people are supported, connected, and given space to thrive. It also highlighted how much harder things once were, especially for Deaf children growing up without the support systems available today.
That’s why Alana is running for Deaf Children Australia.
She’s running for the support she wishes her grandparents had access to as children. She’s running to help ensure Deaf children and families today feel supported, included, and empowered within their community.
Training hasn’t always been easy. There are moments when Alana wants to give up, when the kilometres feel heavy and the doubt creeps in. In those moments, she thinks of her pa. She imagines him pushing her mentally, reminding her why she started, encouraging her to keep going. She carries his pride, his strength, and his deep love for the Deaf community with every step.
Alana believes her nan and pa would be incredibly proud. Proud that she’s honouring their legacy. Proud that she’s running not just for herself, but for future generations of Deaf children and families who deserve to feel supported and celebrated.
Peter McCormick’s legacy lives on through Deaf sport, community, and now, through his granddaughter’s determined stride toward a better future.
