Justine Smethurst

Born in January 1987 in Melbourne, Australia, Justine Smethurst developed an early interest in softball, influenced by her mother and sister, who also played and coached the sport. She began playing before the age of twelve and specialized in pitching at that age. Smethurst attended Shelford Anglican Girls’ School, graduating in 2004, where she studied Japanese. In 2002, while residing in East Brighton, Victoria, she dedicated approximately fifteen hours per week to softball training, underscoring her commitment to the sport from a young age.

Her distinguished career began with representation for Victoria across various age-group teams, including U13, U14, and U16, at national championships. In 2001, her Victorian junior team secured a national title. From 2006 to 2007, Smethurst played for the University of Hawaii softball team on scholarship, pursuing a psychology major. This collegiate experience was interrupted as she focused on securing a position on the Australian national team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. She further honed her skills through softball scholarships with both the Victorian Institute of Sport (2005-2006) and the Australian Institute of Sport (2008).

Smethurst achieved significant international success, earning a bronze medal with the Australian softball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as the youngest member of the squad. Prior to the Olympics, she had accumulated 20 caps for the national team. Her national team participation included tours of the US, Canada, and Japan in 2005. She also competed in the 2009 World Cup, where she notably pitched a hitless game against Italy into the fifth inning, contributing to an 8-0 victory. In 2011, Smethurst participated in the World Cup of Softball, playing against formidable teams like the United States and Japan. Her career continued with her inclusion in the 2012 Australian women’s national softball team for the ISF XIII Women’s World Championships.