SAND KING SIMON SAYS NATALIE AS GOOD AS GOLD

April 28: Beach volleyball's golden girl Natalie Cook has engaged one of Australia's fastest men on sand to give her the edge as she prepares her assault on a record fifth Olympics in London.

But eight-time Australian beach flags champion Simon Harris thought it was his BMD Northcliffe team mates, ironmen Shannon Eckstein and Zane Holmes who "put her up to it" when Cook asked to have a session with him.

"We were at a BMD Beach Volleyball day at Natalie's Sandstorm courts in Brisbane when she said did I want to get together for a training run and I said sure," Harris revealed today after their first session on the sand in front of the champion Gold Coast surf club.

"Because it was a typical surf club sort of scene, we were up at Sandstorm having a fun day and a few beers and I thought one of the boys had put her up to it.

"But when I realised she was serious I was actually really chuffed and I rang my wife Kristy (former Australian and Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironwoman champion) straight away and said ‘guess who has just asked if she could come and train with me?'....it was great.

"Hopefully I can give her some ideas and help her get another gold medal."

If today's session, which included sled and bungee running, starts and technique on the sand was any indication it could well end up being a winning partnership, although Harris knows he is working with a thoroughbred.

"I think she has all the bases covered. Being an Olympic gold medallist you have to be a phenomenal athlete," said Harris.

"But maybe (she can add) a little bit of strength work; she's got a really good grasp of everything. She moves well, she's very flexible, she can change direction so fast chasing balls all around the court all day.

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"She's pretty much the most well rounded sports person I've seen but as I said maybe just a little bit of strength work; the power to weight in her game is crucial."

Cook couldn't believe she hadn't thought of using Harris earlier in her career.

"When I was told he was the eight-times beach flags champion of Australia it was just like a light bulb went on; why haven't I tapped into this resource before?," an excited Cook said.

"If I can get the fastest man on sand in the country to teach me a few things about moving across the sand it's got to be beneficial to me on the volleyball court.

"Beach volleyball is about getting off the sand, running six to eight metres and digging a volleyball, just like Simon who gets up off the sand and runs to his flag as fast as he can.

"It's teaching me to get up off the sand and move across it quicker; if I can dig one more volleyball a game I could be in the gold medal match in London."

Cook admits that running around the beach volleyball court for 16 years can take a toll on any body.

"Anybody who goes to the beach on the weekend and walks from the car to the beach knows how tough it is on your body," said Cook.

"I run around an eight by eight metres sand pit all day and I chase anything within the lines. I dive, jump, spike and dig and it's tough on the body.

"After 16 years my body is getting older and I thought I was getting slower but now Simon's going to help me to get faster and it's just something that's ingrained in me now...when I walk onto the volleyball court it's very natural."

Cook and her Beijing Olympic partner Tamsin Barnett will renew their partnership in the fourth leg of the 2010 Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in Seoul on May 25 and 30 - in the tournament they won in 2007.

NATALIE COOK INTERVIEW'S
Natalie explains how her training with Simon came about - {audio}/images/stories/news-articles/audio/Natalie Cook explains how her training with Simon Harris came about.mp3{/audio}

Moving on the sand - {audio}/images/stories/news-articles/audio/Natalie Cook moving on the sand.mp3{/audio}

Tough on the body - {audio}/images/stories/news-articles/audio/Natalie Cook tough on the body.mp3{/audio}

SIMON HARRIS INTERVIEW

Simon talks about Natalie Cook - {audio}/images/stories/news-articles/audio/Simon Harris regarding Natalie Cook.mp3{/audio}