After a running career that stretched more than 38,000 miles, Dr. Cooper had to modify his fitness regime a few years ago when he broke a leg in a skiing accident. So instead of running, he walks, trains with weights, and focuses on aerobic conditioning. He prescribes the same regimen to anyone who finds running difficult because of age or affliction.

But other than that concession, he never seems to stop moving. There is so much on his plate, so much to do.

“My son is meeting with officials in Dubai today,” he said in a recent conversation, “and they have all that oil revenue and now they want to try to develop medical tourism there. They want 200,000 people a year to come through.

“And we have a center opening up in Nanjing, China. The Chinese want to improve the health of their 1.3 billion people. There’s an explosion of obesity there.”

Unfortunately, the same is true in the U.S.

“We spend twice as much on healthcare as any other country,” Dr. Cooper said, “and we’re 43^rd in longevity. Seventy-six percent of the diseases we have are a result of lifestyle.”

The solution, Dr. Cooper said, is following what he calls “8 Healthy Steps”: Maintaining a healthy weight; making healthy food choices most of the time; exercising most days of the week; taking the right supplements to meet your needs; avoiding tobacco; controlling alcohol use; managing stress; and getting a regular, comprehensive physical exam.

He still rises early and works hard, overseeing the various health and business components that bear the Cooper name, always preaching the merits of diet and exercise.

“I started here 48 years ago; I put the blinders on and fought the resistance and now we’re worldwide,” he said. “And the reason I’ve been successful is God. I give Him all the credit.”

Dr. Larry Taylor, Head of School at PCA, said Dr. Cooper truly personifies the qualities the Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award represents.

“Because he’s such a good doctor, he has opened doors in the secular world, and in doing so, he’s been able to serve as an ambassador for Christ,” Dr. Taylor said. “He provides credibility for the kingdom. He reaches parts of the world that most pastors will never reach.

“And the core of his calling is to serve parents and kids and families.”

That, Dr. Taylor said, is servant leadership.

And like all of the past honorees, Dr. Cooper is a strong advocate for Sponsor-A-Child, the reason for the banquet.

The award was an idea that came together when Zig was still alive, Dr. Taylor said.

“His granddaughter, Alexandria, went all through school at PCA, and Zig was always a part of the school,” he said. “He would speak at PCA events; he’d speak to the kids at chapel; he’d help in any way he could.

“At one point, we were in a capital campaign and Zig had agreed to write a letter to the grandparents to say how important this campaign was,” Dr. Taylor said. “He was always willing to help.

“And later, with Pastor Jack Graham’s permission, Ron Kelley (Director of Prestonwood Foundation) and I went to Tom Ziglar (Zig’s son) and said we’d love to do a Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership banquet.

“Zig was a model servant leader and we wanted to make this one of our highest honors.”

But when they presented the idea to Zig, Dr. Taylor recalled, the response was not what they expected.

“He started crying,” Dr. Taylor said. “As humble as ever, he said, ‘Guys, I’m so far from being the model servant leader.’

“But that only reinforced that he was what a servant leader should be.”

The same is true of Dr. Cooper.