Natalie Smith (sport shooter)

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]

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

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. 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.
  4. "Paralympic shooters on target for London". Ausshooting.org. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  5. 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. "Natalie Smith". International Paralympic Committee profile. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  7. "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. "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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