Natalie Louise Cook OAM (born 19 January 1975) is an Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medallist.
Cook was born in Townsville, Queensland. She was the dux of her school, Corinda State High (located in the western suburbs of Brisbane). Subsequently, Natalie enrolled to study medicine. At the same time, she took up volleyball, captaining the Australian Indoor Junior Team in 1992. In 1993, she began playing beach volle...
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Natalie Louise Cook OAM (born 19 January 1975) is an Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medallist.
Cook was born in Townsville, Queensland. She was the dux of her school, Corinda State High (located in the western suburbs of Brisbane). Subsequently, Natalie enrolled to study medicine. At the same time, she took up volleyball, captaining the Australian Indoor Junior Team in 1992. In 1993, she began playing beach volleyball, before giving up her medical studies and going professional the following year.
She partnered with Kerri Pottharst, and together, they represented Australia at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, winning a bronze medal - the very 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 split for a few years afterwards, but reunited in time for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Before the games, they...
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