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Natalie Cook:
 
Natalie Cook
Australia  
          
 
Vital Statistics
 

Photo: FIVB
Birth Date January 19, 1975 (49 years old)
Home Town Brisbane
Resides Brisbane
Height 5'11"
Web Site nataliecook.com
  Best Finish Winnings
United States 4th $8,425
   USAV 4th $3,750
   WPVA 5th $4,675
International 1st (4 times) $652,909
   FIVB 1st (4 times) $611,279
   FIVB C&S 5th $250
   Bonus Money   $41,380
Overall 1st (4 times) $661,334
 
Bio Bits

Go Girl!  Australian Natalie Cook clearly does just that.  Not content with being a Beach Volleyball achiever at the highest level, no less than an Olympic gold medal, 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".  Cook lives by that credo and it has secured her a place in the Olympic annals.

 

During her high school days, she was awarded the highest accolade in both the academic and sporting arena, by being presented with DUX of the school and all-round sportswoman of the year.  In 1992, Cook pursued university studies in the medical field and captained the Australian Indoor Junior Team.  She first started playing beach in 1993 and turned professional just one year later.  Cook and Pottharst became the first team (men's or women's) to win an Olympic Beach Volleyball medal when they defeated three teams from the United States to capture the bronze medfal at the Atlanta 1996 Games.  After posting a 5-0 mark to win the Sydney 2000 Olympic title, Cook and Pottharst were awarded the Order of Australia, Australia's highest honor.  Cook and Pottharst were also included in the FIVB’s Team of the Decade.

Overall, Cook and Pottharst compiled a 9-1 Olympic match mark with six straight wins.  Cook, who has a 13-4 Olympic match record, is one of 14 players to compete in all Beach Volleyball Olympics.  Cook and Nicole Sanderson finished fourth at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games with a 4-3 record, including a first-round elimination win over Pottharst and Summer Lochowicz.

Cook has teamed with three different partners to win five Australian National Championships, including three with Pottharst (2001, 2002 and 2003), and one each with Sanderson (2004) and Tasmin Barnett (2006).

 

Favorite Food - Indian

Favorite Color - GOLD (for obvious reasons)

Favorite Sporting Hero - Michael Jordan and Greg Norman

Hobbies - Golf, reading, business and going to the movies

Motto - NO LIMITS and always believe in the power of your dreams!

Ten Year Plan - To win another gold medal, build the sport of Beach Volleyball to a new level through my company, www.sandstorm.com.au and provide opportunities to others through the venture, and to invest in developments so my dad can retire and help me out!

 

 
 
Awards
 
  • Volleyball Hall of Fame 2013
 
Career Summary
 
United States
Season Assoc Played 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 9th Money Points Rank 13th 17th 19th 25th 33rd 37th 41st
1994 WPVA 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 $900.00 30.0 52nd 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
1995 WPVA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 $550.00 12.0 61st 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1997 WPVA 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 $3,225.00 44.0 55th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1999 USAV 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 $3,750.00 119.0 22nd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total
(Rank)
  6
(917th)
0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 $8,425.00
(294th)
205.0   1 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
International
Season Assoc Played 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 9th Money Points Rank 13th 17th 19th 25th 33rd 37th 41st
1993 FIVB 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 $1,625.00 9.0 16th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1994 FIVB 6 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 $9,031.25 50.0 10th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1995 FIVB 11 0 0 0 2 6 0 2 1 $20,500.00 126.0 7th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1996 FIVB 9 1 1 1 3 3 0 0 0 $86,100.00 819.0 8th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1997 FIVB 9 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 2 $38,880.00 621.0 9th 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
1998 FIVB 8 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 $22,800.00 586.5 15th 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
1999 FIVB 7 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 2 $40,500.00 817.0 9th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2000 FIVB 10 1 0 3 1 3 0 1 1 $43,000.00 1,064.0 10th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2001 FIVB 9 1 1 1 4 0 0 1 1 $62,250.00 1,086.0 10th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002 FIVB 11 0 2 4 1 1 0 0 3 $55,247.50 1,185.0 5th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Season Assoc Played 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 9th Money Points Rank 13th 17th 19th 25th 33rd 37th 41st
2003 FIVB 11 0 0 4 1 1 0 0 4 $62,250.00 1,453.0 7th 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
2004 FIVB 6 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 $16,250.00 318.0 67th 0 3 0 1 0 0 0
2005 FIVB 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 $21,950.00 555.0 55th 2 1 0 1 0 0 1
2006 FIVB 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 $30,275.00 1,160.0 30th 2 4 0 0 0 0 0
2007 FIVB 8 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 2 $51,700.00 1,610.0 29th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008 FIVB 10 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 5 $40,950.00 1,580.0 25th 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010 FIVB 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $5,350.00 253.0 94th 0 3 0 0 2 0 2
2011 FIVB C&S 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 $250.00 0.0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011 FIVB 13 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 $14,650.00 636.0 68th 0 1 0 1 4 1 3
2012 FIVB 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 $29,350.00 1,090.0 37th 0 1 1 2 0 0 0
Total
(Rank)
  165
(8th)
4
(58th)
7 15 16 33 3 12 34 $652,908.75
(22nd)
15,018.5   7 15 1 5 6 1 6
 
 
 
 
Overall
Total
(Rank)
  171
(44th)
4
(156th)
7 15 17 34 3 13 36 $661,333.75
(32nd)
15,223.5   8 15 1 5 6 1 6
 
Red denotes ranked 1st
 
Victory List
 
Victory Date Assoc Location Partner Seed Winnings
1 8/11/1996 FIVB Osaka Kerri Pottharst 1 $14,600
2 9/25/2000 FIVB Sydney Kerri Pottharst 1  
3 4/8/2001 FIVB Macau Kerri Pottharst 2 $13,500
4 6/3/2007 FIVB Seoul Tamsin Hinchley 14 $16,000
 

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