Natalie Smith
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1975-04-23) 23 April 1975
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportShooting
Medal record
Women's shooting para sport
Representing  Australia
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2012 London10 m air rifle standing SH1

Natalie Smith (born 23 March 1975) is an Australian Paralympic shooter. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she won a bronze medal. She also represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[1][2]

Personal

Smith was born on 23 March 1975.[3] She was originally from Fitzgibbon, Queensland.[4] When she was 34 years old, she had an accident while hiking that left her a paraplegic.[3][5] Prior to her accident, she was a skydiver and equestrian rider.[5] She is married to Stuart and in 2014 she gave birth to a son Daniel.[6]

Shooting is a family sport, as her grandfather is Norman Lutz who was supposed to represent Australia at the 1956 Summer Olympics but ultimately missed the Games because of a heart attack.[5] She lives in Brisbane and works as a nurse.[6]

Shooting

Smith competing at the 2012 London Paralympics

Smith is an SH1 classified shooter competing in 10m Air Rifle Prone and 10m Air Rifle Standing events.[3][7]

Smith started competitive shooting in 2010 following an Australian Paralympic Committee talent search.[3] She made the Australian Paralympic shooting shadow team in 2011.[8] At the 2011 IPC World Cup meet in Fort Benning, she won a gold medal in the SH1 standing air rifle event.[3] In the process, she set an Australian record.[5]

She was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in shooting.[3][7][9] The Games were her first.[4] There she participated in the Women's 10 m Air Rifle standing SH1 and Mixed 10 m Air Rifle prone SH1 – winning a bronze in the 10 m Air Rifle standing.[10]

In November 2015 at the International Paralympic Committee World Cup in Fort Benning, United States, she won the gold medal in the R8 SH1 3 Position rifle event and set a new Australian record of 576 in qualification.[11]

In 2015, she has a scholarship with the Queensland Academy of Sport.[12]

In the 2016 Rio Paralympics she represented Australia in four rifle events although did not win a medal, her best result was 5th overall in the Women's R2-10m Air Rifle Standing - SH1.[13]

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she finished 19th in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 and 46th in the Mixed R3-10 m Air Rifle Prone SH1.

She has held a scholarship with the Queensland Academy of Sport.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Six Australian shooters to target Paralympic gold in Rio". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Fresh Era Of Success Beckons For Australian Para-Shooting Team". Paralympics Australia. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wednesday, 15 August 2012 (23 April 1975). "Coles and VIS present Gateway to London | Natalie Smith | Paralympic Athletes". Victorian Institute of Sport. Retrieved 15 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 "Paralympic shooters on target for London". Ausshooting.org. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hewitt, Sue. "Former Northern Hospital nurse shoots for Games gold". Northern Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Natalie Smith". International Paralympic Committee profile. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Natalie Smith". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  8. ↑ Alston, Josh (27 July 2011). "Smith's sights set on London Paralympics". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "Kosmala on target for 11th Games -". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  10. ↑ "Natalie Smith". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Smith smashes Australian record en route to gold". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 5 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Natalie Smith". Queensland Academy of Sport. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Natalie Smith Profile and Results". 2016 Rio Paralympics Website. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
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