. She started at eight, kicking a ball against a concrete wall in a schoolyard game of “one-touch”. When she tagged along with friends to a Miramar Rangers trial and scored in her first match, she never looked back. She’s been a forward ever since.
What drives her most is seeing the entire team working hard to achieve the same goal, and bonding almost like “a second family”, she says.
“When I step out on the pitch and hear the support from my team and the crowd I want to play hard for them.”
Natalie Olson (left) says team spirit drives her to do well on the field.
Supplied / FA Thailand
Between the ages of 10 and 14, Olson also played with boys — often the only girl on the team — navigating higher-paced, more aggressive games and the frustration of being overlooked for passes. The experience sharpened her skills, she says.
Off the field, she was carving out another path entirely. Olson graduated from Victoria University with a conjoint degree in law and arts, majoring in criminology, and landed a role as a deeds clerk while juggling elite football.
“In the beginning of my degree, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she says. “I felt like a law degree would seem to fit my skillset the best, and dad would always joke that I am great at arguing.”
Natalie Olson (right) plays for the Thailand national women’s football team at the Southeast Asian Games.
Supplied / FA Thailand
Wellingtonian takes to the field for Thai women’s football team Nine To Noon
Caught between Central League and National League seasons, she began to wonder whether football could be more than a side pursuit. Then things accelerated. Her father contacted former All Whites coach Anthony Hudson — now manager of Thailand’s men’s team — flagging his daughter’s form.
What followed was “a whirlwind”, she says. After reviewing her Huddle profile — a platform compiling player footage and statistics — Thai selectors wanted her immediately. Within days, she was on a plane.
“So I’d say probably at the end of the week, I had to come over for four days, get my Thai ID card, everything sorted, did one training session with the team and then flew back to play a game for my club on that weekend.”
Natalie Olson receiving family support from the stands during the Southeast Asian Games.
Supplied / FA Thailand
Olson describes her first week in training camp in late November as “one of the toughest weeks of my life”. Having spent little time in Thailand, she arrived without the language or familiarity of the squad but emerged feeling proud of her growth.
“It was definitely such a surreal experience… it definitely took a while to kind of adjust,” she says. “But, once I was in the swing of things, once you’re in that changing room and you just feel the energy, it’s unreal.”
Then came the moment – stepping onto the pitch in Thailand’s national kit.
Thailand women’s football team at Southeast Asian Games. Natalie Olson is second from left, in the top row.
Supplied / FA Thailand
“I feel like any footballer’s dream is to play for their country.”
Thailand played four matches at the Games, finishing third — but for Olson, the scale of women’s football in the region was just as striking as the results.
“The fans are unbelievable here. Like, the stadium was really busy.
“They had the drums going, the face paint was on. And you go after the game, you walk around the stands just to say thank you to everyone, and everyone wants photos and signed shirts and stuff like that.
“It’s huge over here, and I think people don’t really realise that. But football definitely is growing all over the world.”
Natalie Olson says football support in Thailand was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
Supplied / FA Thailand
She draws inspiration from players like Sam Kerr, particularly her return from ACL injury. Olson herself has undergone the same surgery. Seeing Kerr come back and perform at that level was “super empowering and inspiring”, she says.
The Thailand experience has reshaped Olson’s ambitions. Once firmly on a legal track, she now sees football as a genuine pathway. This year, she moved to Melbourne and signed a semi-professional contract with Preston Lions FC in the NPLW.
Law remains part of her future, and she hopes one day to merge both worlds. For now, she’s embracing her football career.
“If anyone has sort of an opportunity to push themselves – not even in sport, but just in life – like it’s definitely something you don’t want to regret not doing.”
Wellingtonian takes to the field for Thai women’s football team Nine To Noon
