1996
Olympic Games Bronze medal (Atlanta)
1996 World Championships Bronze medal (Rio de Janeiro)
2000 Olympic Games Gold medal (Sydney)
2003 World Championships Bronze medal (Rio de Janeiro)
2004 Olympic Games 4th place (Athens)
2007 1st Place Korean Open
Current
Playing Partner:
Tamsin
Barnett
Favourite
Food:
Indian
Favourite
Colour:
GOLD
(for obvious reasons)
Sporting
Heroes:
Michael
Jordan and Greg Norman
Hobbies:
Golf,
reading, and going to the movies
Motto:
NO
LIMITS and always believe in the power of your dreams!
Ten
Year Plan:
After
the heartache of Athens, I am determined to win another
Olympic Gold medal in Beijing in 2008. Also, I am
determined to build the sport of beach volleyball
to a new level through my company Sandstorm (www.sandstorm.com.au)
and provide opportunities for others through the sport.
Go Girl! Australian Natalie Cook clearly does just
that. Not content with being a beach volleyball
achiever at the nighest level, no less than an Olympic
Gold, she also writes books. Natalie’s motivational
book “go Girl”, published in September
2001 is described as an “inspirational tale
of courage and audacity”. On the cover, Natalie
appeals to her readers “Achieve your dreams”;
“Unleash your power”. This full time
beach volleyball professional lives by the credo
and it has secured her a place in the Olympic annals.
Natalie first started playing beach volleyball in
1993 and turned professional just one year later.
She has shared many of her career magic moments
with Kerri Pottharst, including three 2001 World
Tour podiums and four 4th places. Not bad for a
season that could have been an anticlimax after
snatching the Olympic Gold in front of a home crowd
at Bondi Beach, Sydney 2000.
Natalie joined forces with Nicole Sanderson on their
quest for more gold in Athens. After asuccessful
2003, culminating in a World Championship Bronze
medal, Natalie suffered a serious shoulder injury
which she carried for all of 2004. “Expecting
to win an Olympic Gold medal with only one arm was
my biggest mistake. I really did still believe we
could do it”… And they almost did. After
damaging her shoulder further she courageously battled
to the end, losing narrowly to the USA in the Bronze
match! Her courage and determination were inspiring
to watch and will be placed in history as one of
the gutsiest efforts given by an Olympic athlete.
So is there anywhere else to go? What does winning
mean to this Olympic Champion? “Achieving
my goals and influencing and motivating others to
do the same”, she insists. And the next goal?
“The World Championships as the Australians
are yet to win a World Champs”.The challenge
doesn’t stop. In 2008 there’s another
Olympic medal up for grabs in Beijing. After a successful
2007 with Tamsin Barnett, winning the Korean Open,
the pair is set to achieve their goal of winning
GOLD in Beijing.
Natalie still has her best years in front of her
but looking ahead past her active sporting life,
she would like to be involved in the beach sport
she loves. “I would like to build beach volleyball
in Australia so that it is one of our high profile
sports. I would like to give everyone the opportunity
to play our great sport”. Go girl!
If you would like Natalie to appear at your next
corporate event please click
here
