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" 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 over 20 years ago and turned professional just one year later. She has shared many of her career magic moments with Kerri Pottharst, including three World Tour podiums places and the Olympic gold in front of her home crowd at Bondi Beach, Sydney.
Natalie joined forces with Nicole Sanderson on their quest for more gold in Athens. After the successful of a World Championship Bronze medal, Natalie suffered a serious shoulder injury which she carried for over a year.
"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 was inspiring to watch and will placed in history as one of the gutsiest efforts given by an Olympic athlete.
With Tamsin Barnett, they won the the Korean Open and the pair looked set to achieve their goal of winning Gold in Beijing. Winning their pool, they built momentum and looked on top of their game. It proved a tough ask with the girls bowing out in the quarter final to arch rivals Brasil. London is Calling? With 4 Olympic appearances under her belt (bikini) Nat will represent Australia again in London. Natalie feels she still has one more Olympics left in her.
Natalie's presentation will captivate the hearts and minds of her audience with her tales of perseverance, passion and determination. Renowned for "walking on fire" Natalie's life philosophy of "NO LIMITS" is reflected in her achievements and general attitude to every situation. She will leave listeners with the skills and tools to tackle any situation in their own lives.
"When running up hill, which we tend to do most of our lives, it doesn't matter how many times you feel like giving up - as long as your feet keep moving."
TEAM BUILDING FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Since I won the Olympic Gold in Bondi, Beach Volleyball has developed to become a prominent sport with the Australian public. Everyday people want to get out on the sand and play this fun-filled exciting sport.
SO WHY DON'T YOU?.... IT'S TIME TO GET SAND BETWEEN YOUR TOES...
What are the Benefits for Your Business?
* Improved communication providing increased productivity
* Re-enforcing teamwork to achieve an objective
* Interchanging of roles can provide an insight into staff leadership skills
* Re-energizing of staff. Physical activity improves health and well being
The world of sport is not that much different from that of the world of business. In fact, nowadays, it's difficult to tell them apart. In both arenas, "teams" have their "players". Each "player" has their own important role to play. Goals and objectives are outlined at the start of each "season". Plans on how to accomplish these goals are mapped out. Incentives are put in place. Regular assessments of the team's progress are made and any necessary adjustments undertaken. Teamwork and good communication are vital to achieve these goals and objectives. The overall success of the team is measured by how far the team has traveled from its initial starting point.
All of these elements are essential to the success of any business, or sporting team. Within a business we try continuously to improve team building with our staff and with our clients we are always trying to improve our client relationships. Team building with our staff has seen us traditionally move towards options such as work conferences and staff meetings. Work conferences are expensive, time consuming and limit the number of staff that can attend. Unfortunately after a period of time staff meetings become mundane and can become a venue for grievances rather than any of team building benefit.
With our clients traditionally these relationships have tried to be improved through lunches, dinners and corporate golf days. Due to ever increasing demands with our work and home environments, these options can be time consuming and difficult to arrange. Corporate golf days limit the number of people you can spend time with and can tend to alienate female clients. Quite often you leave your golf day having only spent a brief moment with the majority of your guests. Through Natalie Cook we are offering an environment that mirrors the world of business while placing a social aspect away from the office. Corporate Beach Volleyball provides you with the forum to actually spend time and improve your staff / client relationships whilst having fun.
Corporate Beach Volleyball is an inexpensive and unique way to develop interpersonal skills and interactions between your staff and clients. Improved relationships between yourself and your clients will lead to better results for your business.
Testimonials
I was particularly impressed at the way in which Natalie was able to weave very appropriate references to our business into her talk, and this really gave her talk added impact. Very many people commented about how much they enjoyed hearing Natalie speak - her relatable, lively approach, a great Aussie sense of humour, and a great story of 'dream, struggle, and victory'.
- Functions Manager, P.B. McKenna & Associates
Vodafone only has a handful of personal sponsorships - globally we're associated with Michael Schumacher, David Beckham and Megan Gale. Here in Australia we're delighted to sponsor Natalie Cook. Nat's a perfect ambassador for us - she personifies the Australian lifestyle and her never-say-die attitude perfectly represents our brand. She's a gifted communicator and we're proud that Nat's a part of the Vodafone family.
- General Manager Queensland and Northern Territory, Vodafone Pty Ltd
Your contribution to our conference event was nothing short of spectacular, particularly when many businesses have found themselves in challenging times during the year. Your inspirational address has shown them that they can achieve great things in both business and their personal lives - even through the most challenging of times - and obstacles are just small bumps in life, rather than a road blocks. To say you made an impression with our delegates would be the greatest understatement of all times. The spontaneous, standing ovation from our audience said it all! Nat, as we know, all of Australia loves a hero - you have become just that - a hero - to all of our audience of 400 delegates. And, you now have 400 "Natalie ambassadors" who will be cheering you every step of the way as you continue your wonderful sporting career.
- Head of Conferences & Events, Stella Travel Services
Nat Cook’s presentation and engagement were absolutely outstanding
- MD Fitness Australia
Natalie was brilliant, she was engaging with the audience, she was entertaining and her message clearly delivered to the industry. She stayed for dinner and had photos with her meddle with guests. We would definitely use her again
- Event Manager Fitness Australia
