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WXII 12.COM. AND THIS MORNING’S 12 INSPIRES A TRIAD MAN IS PROOF YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE. I LOVE THAT DESPITE INJURIES AND SETBACKS, THE 72 YEAR OLD IS HITTING THE ICE AGAIN, ENJOYING HIS PASSION OF PLAYING HOCKEY. OUR ERIN BURNETT JOINS US NOW. ERIN, YOU GOT A LESSON ON THE GAME OF HOCKEY AS WELL TOO, WITH THIS STORY. THAT’S RIGHT. I DID. MIKE UBER SAYS HOCKEY HAS BEEN AN OUTLET THAT’S KEPT HIM PUSHING ALONG IN LIFE AND ON THE RINK. MIKE UBER HAS BEEN PLAYING ICE HOCKEY SINCE HE WAS SIX. I’VE PLAYED IN EIGHT DIFFERENT DECADES. HE’S NOW 72 YEARS OLD AND NOT SLOWING DOWN. REFEREEING LITTLE LEAGUE GAMES, SERVING AS CAPTAIN OF THE POLAR BEARS ICE HOCKEY TEAM IN WINSTON-SALEM. SCHEDULING FOR THE TRIAD ICE HOCKEY OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION AND THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS OF NORTH CAROLINA. I CAN’T SKATE AS FAST, BUT I CAN STILL SHOOT AT THE NET. I’M ONE OF THE BETTER PASSERS ON MY TEAM. I CAN PASS RINKWIDE THROUGH 2 OR 3 PLAYERS AND GET IT ON THE TAPE. THE LITTLE ONES, THE TEN YEAR OLDS, EIGHT YEAR OLDS, EVEN AT FACE OFFS. I’LL BE TEACHING THEM. I’LL TAKE A QUICK SECOND AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU’VE GOT TO PUT YOUR STICKS THIS WAY. A BUNION ON HIS LEFT FOOT LEFT HIM OFF THE ICE. FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND IN SURGERY. I USED TO DO FOUR GAMES IN A ROW WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, AND NOW I WAS DOING TWO. I CUT BACK TO ONE AND IT WAS JUST HURTING TOO MUCH. WHILE HE MIGHT HAVE LOST SOME PRECIOUS PRACTICE TIME, HIS DOCTORS SAY IT’S HIS RESILIENCE THAT MAKES HIM THE BEST PLAYER IN REF ON THE ICE. I DON’T WANT TO SEE PATIENTS NOW IN THEIR 40S OR 50S SAY, YOU KNOW, I’M TOO OLD. I CAN’T KEEP MOVING BECAUSE HE’S SUCH AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE THAT HAS KEPT GOING AND STAYED WITH HIS PASSION AND CONTINUES TO FOLLOW IT. UBER SAYS THE SURGERY WENT WELL AND THIS IS HIS SECOND WEEK BACK ON THE ICE. HE EVEN TAUGHT ME A THING OR TWO. LET’S TRY THIS. HERE HE IS. ULTIMATELY, HE SAYS, PURSUING HIS PASSIONS KEEPS HIM YOUNG AT HEART, HEALTHY AND HAPPY. LIFE ADVICE. HE SAYS WE CAN ALL LIVE BY. WE SHOULD NEVER THINK YOU’RE GOING TO STOP LEARNING. I HOPE TO BE LIVING INTO MY 90S AND STILL LEARNING THINGS SO. WELL. MIKE COOPER SAYS HE’S ALREADY BOUGHT A NEW PAIR OF SKATES AND PLANS TO KEEP PLAYING FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT YEAR AND REFFING FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT FIVE. IN THE STUDIO, I’M ERIN