Cooksey akaita mutambo wake wekutanga pasi rose pa1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, uko akaiswa pachinzvimbo chechi17 uye akabatsira chikwata chevakadzi veAmerica kusvika pachinzvimbo chechina. Akarasikirwa nemwaka wakasara nekuda kwekukuvara kwakadzokororwa kwekushushikana. Mushure mokunge apora, akauya wechipiri shure kwaGabriele Andersen kuCalifornia International Marathon muSacramento uye nguva yake yakawana kukodzera kwake mu1984 Los Angeles Olympic Trial. Mujaho wokutanga waiva wokukwikwidzana zvikuru sezvo wakauya panguva iyo vakadzi vakanga vava kumhanya zvikuru muUnited States uye, pamwe chete nokuva pamusha, yakanga iri nguva yokutanga kuti marathon iitwe kuvakadzi paMitambo yeOlympic yeZhizha. Cooksey akawana nhoroondo yakakosha yenguva ye2:35:42 maawa mumutambo wekuedza muOlympia, Washington, asi izvi zvaingokwana nzvimbo yegumi nematatu yakazara. Kukuvadzwa zvakare kwakavhiringidza mwaka wake wa1985 na1986, kunyange zvazvo akakunda zita reAmerica 5K mumugwagwa mugore rekupedzisira.