GROUND
ZERO PLUS 1080 DAYS--New York, NY, Wednesday,
August 25, 2004--PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!
Pain--That
was
the
hallmark
of
an
incredible
victory
last
night
by
a
28-year-old
Australian
who
showed
the
world
what
Olympic
competition
is
all
about--you
don't
quit
no
matter
what.
Four
of
the
world’s
finest
women’s
volleyball
players
entered
the
competitive
ring
in
Athens,
Greece
last
night
vying
for
the
coveted
Bronze
Medal
in
women's
beach
volleyball.
Only
two
would
exit
as
victors.
But
that
wasn't
the
way
it
turned
out.
One
of
the
players
who
was
defeated
in
the
game
became
a
Champion
of
Vigilance.
She
exited
with
a
Titanium
Medal
of
Courage.
The
Champion
of
Courage
Over
Pain
is
named
Natalie
Cook,
a
2000
Olympic
volleyball
Gold
Medallist
from
Australia
and
a
1996
Bronze
Medal
winner.
 |
Chris
Schacht,
President
of
Volleyball
Australia,
courtside
in
Athens,
said
of
Natalie
Cook,
“This
performance
is
bigger
for
Australian
sport,
and
beach
volleyball,
than
winning
the
Bronze
medal”.
“Natalie
displayed
courage
in
the
face
of
unbelievable
pain
that
few
other
athletes
would
endure
and
yet
she
played
on
and
nearly
won
the
match”. |
Cook
entered
the
Olympic
competition
with
an
injured
shoulder.
She
had
wanted
reconstruction
surgery
months
before
the
Olympics
but
was
told
her
shoulder
would
not
heal
in
time.
So
despite
the
injury,
she
elected
to
compete
with
her
partner,
Nicole
Sanderson..
All
went
well
until
the
middle
of
the
Bronze
Medal
competition
against
the
USA
team
of
Holly
McPeak
and
Elaine
Youngs.
Cook
dived
to
dig
out
a
save
in
the
sand
and
was
unable
to
get
back
up
for
a
few
moments.
Her
face
twisted
into
a
mask
of
pain.
Tossing
her
head
back
in
defiance
of
the
pain,
her
jaws
tightened
and
her
eyes
squinted,
fighting
back
tears.
Her
wounded
arm
was
virtually
useless.
Volleyball
is
all
about
using
your
two
arms
to
block,
hit
and
set,
and
provides
the
flexibility
to
dig
shots
on
the
left
or
right.
Betting
pools
suddenly
shifted
their
wagers
to
the
USA,
and
side
bets
mounted
that
Australia
would
lose
the
second
game.
But
Cook
didn't
let
the
pain
defeat
her
will
to
win.
She
was
playing
as
a
Sentinel
of
Vigilance.
Despite
the
agony,
she
dived
and
hit
and
blocked.
Miraculously,
her
team
won
the
second
game.
That
battle
for
the
second
game
was
an
example
of
how
one
can
overcome
the
most
difficult
of
painful
problems.
 |
Natalie
Cook
played
as
a
Sentinel
of
Vigilance
|
Anyone
watching
Cook
saw
the
power
of
purpose
overpower
the
Beast
of
Defeat.
One
might
presume
that
the
wounded
competitor
would
simply
let
the
stronger
team
win
to
protect
her
arm
from
further
harm.
That's
not
Cook's
Olympic
style.
She
stood
up
to
the
Beast
of
Pain
and
stared
him
down.
Her
movements
were
those
of
a
champion,
not
a
crippled
competitor.
Grimacing
between
shots,
she
continued
to
radiate
the
power
of
Vigilance
over
physical
and
emotional
Terror.
Her
will
replaced
Fear
with
Courage,
Intimidation
with
Conviction,
and
Complacency
with
Right
Actions.
She
became
an
example
for
all
of
us
who
struggle
with
pain
in
our
daily
lives.
So
often
we,
as
adults,
face
the
“pain
of
life.”
There
are
times
when
both
physical
and
emotional
suffering
drives
us
to
the
point
where
we
see
no
Hope,
and
stand
at
the
crossroads
of
defeat.
Such
pain
could
be
the
result
of
a
relationship
gone
bad,
or
being
passed
over
for
a
promotion,
or
a
marriage
crumbling,
or
a
child
disappointing
us,
or
being
betrayed
by
a
friend,
or
any
of
a
myriad
of
human
setbacks
that
spear
the
pain
of
defeat
through
us
as
sharply
as
though
someone
were
stabbing
our
souls
with
a
rusty
ice
pick.
What
do
we
do
under
such
circumstances?
It
is
easy
for
us
all
to
want
to
fold
our
tents
and
become
a
“victim”
of
life’s
brutal
battering
ram.
It
is
easy
for
us
succumb
to
the
idea
the
world
is
a
hammer
and
we
are
merely
another
nail.
But,
if
we
are
seeking
to
become
true
Sentinels
of
Vigilance,
we
can
replay
the
incredible
scene
of
Natalie
Cook
fighting
the
physical
pain
of
a
nearly
useless
shoulder
and
fighting
back
with
all
her
will
and
might
despite
the
handicap.
We
can
all
become
Olympic
Champions
in
the
tiring
daily
battles
with
our
Beasts
of
Emotional
Pain
who
try
to
kick
sand
in
our
face
and
whisper
in
our
ears:
"Loser!"
"Nobody!"
"Failure!"
"Why
try,
you'll
just
lose
again!"
 |
The
Beast
of
Terror
wants
us
to
surrender
to
being
"a
victim
of
life"
|
We
all
know
these
voices.
They
haunt
some
of
us
into
believing
that
we
are
far
less
than
we
really
are.
They
are
like
clubs
pounding
us
into
the
earth,
depleting
our
power,
making
us
feel
smaller,
weaker,
more
vulnerable
until
we
finally
give
up
fighting
and
surrender
to
being
"a
nobody,"
or
accepting
that
any
effort
forward
is
"useless."
The
Beast
of
Terror
likes
to
drive
us
into
Caves
of
Complacency
where
we
shrink
from
all
the
shadows
and
hug
ourselves
in
Fear
of
trying
because
we
"know"
we
will
be
defeated.
That's
why
Natalie
Cook
won
the
Titanium
Medal
of
Courageous
Vigilance.
She
fought
through
her
pain.
She
stood
up
to
her
own
Beast
of
Pain.
 |
Natalie
Cook
demonstrated
no
matter
what
obstacles
faced
her,
she
didn't
give
up
|
Yes,
part
of
that
battle
was
with
physical
pain,
but
no
one
can
deny
that
her
emotions
were
shattered
for
a
moment
when
she
knew
she
could
barely
lift
her
arm.
She
was
fighting
for
a
Bronze
Medal,
and
there
was
that
moment
when
all
her
hopes
were
dashed.
She
had
to
call
on
her
Sentinels
of
Olympic
Vigilance.
She
did.
And,
even
though
her
team
lost
the
final
game
and
the
USA
garnered
the
Gold,
her
team
won
the
second
game
even
with
Cook's
crippled
arm.
The
coach
of
the
Australian
men's
beach
volleyball
team
said
"Natalie
showed
the
men
how
to
have
heart".
He
hopes
they
follow
her
lead
in
their
battle
this
afternoon
with
the
Swiss.
Any
child
watching
the
game
came
away
with
a
symbol
that
no
matter
what
the
obstacles,
if
you
believe
in
what
you're
doing,
you
win,
as
long
as
you
don't
give
up.
The
Beast
of
Terror
wants
us
all
to
give
up.
He
wants
to
Intimidate
us
into
states
of
Complacency
where
we
stand
by
and
watch
the
world
go
past
us
and
wonder
why.
The
answer
to
that
question
is
Natalie
Cook.
She
didn't
let
the
Olympic
world
go
by.
She
kept
competing
for
the
sake
of
competition.
We
can
remind
ourselves
and
our
children
and
loved
ones
that
victory
is
not
always
winning
the
Gold
Medal,
but
more
importantly,
not
giving
up
on
the
belief
that
we
can
if
we
work
for
it.
 |
Be
a
Natalie
Cook
and
take
the
Vow
of
Vigilance
|
Natalie
Cook
proved
that
one
more
time
in
yesterday's
match.
She
validated
that
a
Sentinel
of
Vigilance
doesn't
give
up.
You
can
become
a
Natalie
Cook
by
taking
the
Vow
of
Vigilance.
When
you
Pledge
to
fight
Fear
with
Courage,
Intimidation
with
Conviction,
and
Complacency
with
Right
Actions
that
benefit
future
generations,
you
are
an
Olympic
competitor.
Take
the
Pledge
of
Vigilance
today.
Let
the
Beast
of
Terror
know
you
are
a
friend
of
Natalie
Cook.
Then
he'll
go
bother
someone
else
until
they
realize
what
you
do--that
winning
is
the
attempt
and
not
the
victory.
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