Natalie Ward

Natalie Ward is a former Australian softball player who played shortstop and second base for the Australian national team. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1975, she won bronze medals at the 1996, 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2004 Games. By 2006 she had appeared in 357 games for Australia, breaking the previous record of 356 held by Sally McCreedy. She retired after her fourth Olympics in 2008 because the International Olympic Committee had dropped softball from the next two Games, and in 2026 she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame as an athlete member.