Natalie Cook
Encyclopedia
Natalie Louise Cook OAM
(born 19 January 1975) is an Australian professional beach volleyball
player and Olympic gold medallist.
. She was the dux
of her school, Corinda State High (located in the western suburbs of Brisbane). She enrolled in pre-medicine college courses, and also took up volleyball
, captaining the Australian Indoor Junior Team in 1992. In 1993 she began playing beach volleyball. In 1994 she went professional and gave up her pursuit of a medical degree.
to represent Australia at the Atlanta Olympics
in 1996, winning a bronze medal - the first time that beach volleyball had been an Olympic sport. In the same year, the pair won a silver medal at the world championships, and came first in the World Tour Event in Japan.
Cook and Pottharst did not play together again until 2000. They finished third in the World Tour Events, held in France and Portugal, and then participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney. They dominated the competition, winning the gold medal. In the aftermath of their Olympic win, the pair were awarded the Order of Australia
, Australia's highest honor. Cook and Pottharst were included in the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
's Team of the Decade.
After the Olympics, Pottharst retired, and Cook found a new partner in Nicole Sanderson. They won a bronze medal at the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
in Rio de Janeiro
, and by the end of the 2003 world tour, were ranked fourth in the world. They were subsequently selected to represent Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics
. After a promising start, they finished out of medal contention, losing to teams from Brazil
and the United States. For the 2008 Summer Olympics
, Cook partnered with Tamsin Barnett
, finishing fifth overall.
and is married to fellow beach volleyballer Sarah Maxwell. In addition to her sporting career, Cook tours on the public speaking circuit and has launched her own beach volleyball-related business, Sandstorm.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 19 January 1975) is an Australian professional beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
player and Olympic gold medallist.
Early life
Cook was born in Townsville, QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. She was the dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
of her school, Corinda State High (located in the western suburbs of Brisbane). She enrolled in pre-medicine college courses, and also took up volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, captaining the Australian Indoor Junior Team in 1992. In 1993 she began playing beach volleyball. In 1994 she went professional and gave up her pursuit of a medical degree.
Career
Cook partnered with Kerri PottharstKerri Pottharst
Kerri Ann Pottharst OAM is an Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medallist.Pottharst was born in Adelaide, South Australia and currently resides in Sydney....
to represent Australia at the Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in 1996, winning a bronze medal - the first time that beach volleyball had been an Olympic sport. In the same year, the pair won a silver medal at the world championships, and came first in the World Tour Event in Japan.
Cook and Pottharst did not play together again until 2000. They finished third in the World Tour Events, held in France and Portugal, and then participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney. They dominated the competition, winning the gold medal. In the aftermath of their Olympic win, the pair were awarded the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, Australia's highest honor. Cook and Pottharst were included in the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball , commonly known by the acronym FIVB, is the international governing body for the sport of indoor, beach and grass volleyball.. Its headquarters are located in Lausanne, Switzerland and its current president is Wei Jizhong .- History :The FIVB was founded...
's Team of the Decade.
After the Olympics, Pottharst retired, and Cook found a new partner in Nicole Sanderson. They won a bronze medal at the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships
These page shows the results of the IV Beach Volleybal World Championships, held from October 7 to October 12, 2003 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the fourth official edition of this event, after ten unofficial championships all held in Rio de Janeiro.-Final ranking:-Final ranking:-References:*...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, and by the end of the 2003 world tour, were ranked fourth in the world. They were subsequently selected to represent Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. After a promising start, they finished out of medal contention, losing to teams from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and the United States. For the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Cook partnered with Tamsin Barnett
Tamsin Barnett
Tamsin Hinchley is an Australian volleyball player. Barnett was on the Australian indoor squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Barnett partnered with Natalie Cook in beach volleyball...
, finishing fifth overall.
Personal life
Cook currently resides in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and is married to fellow beach volleyballer Sarah Maxwell. In addition to her sporting career, Cook tours on the public speaking circuit and has launched her own beach volleyball-related business, Sandstorm.