Category: Wippa and Lachie

Lachie Swaney CRBF Ambassador:

In late 2015, a very excited Cooper, returned home from school one day to let us know he had found the ‘an AFL rising star ‘ at Sydney Grammar School.  He could hardly contain his excitement, nor could he find the superlatives he needed to describe this young talent, he had discovered at a school athletics carnival.  The young man in question was Lachie Swaney, who fast became a very dear friend to Cooper until his passing in 2017, always bringing joy to his life when he needed it most.

Lachie is a member of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy. Last year he took part in the U/16 National Championships as a member of the NSW/ACT team while this year he played in all 5 games for the U/18 Sydney Swans Academy side in the National Academy Series.

“I am very happy to be coming on board as an ambassador as Cooper was a close friend of mine through the time we spent together through sport both inside and outside of school. He also was a major influence on my football as a self-proclaimed guru, providing endless support, making it a very easy decision when Tania asked me as I hope to work with the foundation to ensure that Cooper’s legacy lives on through continual research of Sarcoma.”

Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli

Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli has graced the Sydney airwaves since 2011. After beginning his radio career in Perth, then becoming a regular on the ‘Hamish and Andy’ Saturday morning show,  he moved to Sydney and teamed up with Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald at Nova 969. The boys started their breakfast show tenure together and have been entertaining Sydney siders over their breakfast and on their commute to work ever since.  Michael attended Scotch College, Melbourne, and is married to Lisa, with two lively little boys, Ted and Jack.  Michael’s family and his highly successful media career, however, are but two of the many facets of his very busy life.

Michael has volunteered extensively in the not for profit space, with organisations such as Bandaged Bear(Westmead Children’s Hospital), My Room Children’s Cancer Charity, and the Cancer Council.  Michael also had intimate knowledge of sarcoma, through the tragic loss of a close friend, and used his medical connections nationally, to assist Cooper and his family in sourcing treatment options.

Michael formed a very special, and deeply meaningful friendship with Cooper in the final year of his life, enabling him to laugh, to dream, and to experience the normalcy he so yearned.  Not once did Michael fail in his support of Cooper through the very difficult times.  Since Cooper’s passing, Michael has vowed to assist the Foundation in very practical terms, by joining the Board, to ensure Cooper’s vision and his legacy are preserved.