| Intro | Association football player |
| Is |
Athlete Football player Association football player |
| From |
United States of America New Zealand |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 25 February 1973, Belleville |
| Age: | 47 years |
Jenny Bindon, born Jenny Lynn Bourn on 25 February 1973 in Belleville, Illinois, United States, is an association football goalkeeper who represented New Zealand at international level. She played 77 full internationals in between 2004 and 2010.
High school
Jenny and her twin sister, Sarah, were multi-sport stars at Belleville West High School. The two participated in basketball, volleyball, softball, tennis, and cross country. Girls soccer was not offered at the time.
NCAA career
Bindon played basketball (1991–93), tennis (1991–92), and soccer (1992) for the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars. She left SIUE to enlist in the United States Coast Guard. After the Coast Guard, Bindon returned to the field in 1998 at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, where she played soccer and basketball.
International career
Bindon made her full Football Ferns debut in a 0–2 loss to Australia on 18 February 2004, and represented New Zealand at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China, where they lost to Brazil (0–5), Denmark (0–2) and China (0–2).
She was also included in the New Zealand squad for the 2008 Summer Olympic games where they drew with Japan (2–2) before losing to Norway (0–1) and Brazil (0–4).
On 7 March 2011 Bindon earned her 50th A-international cap in a 5–2 loss to France in the Cyprus Cup, becoming the first New Zealand goalkeeper to reach the milestone.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Bindon played all 360 minutes in 4 matches played by New Zealand. She conceded 5 goals, 2 to the USA who sent them home with a 0–2 quarter-final defeat. Other goals conceded in group stage, to Great Britain (0–1), Brazil (0–1), and Cameroon (3–1); Her goalkeeping performance was critical to New Zealand advancing to second stage, since they advanced by better goal difference than Korea DPR.
At 39 years of age, she was the oldest competitor in 2012 Olympic women’s football tournament. After her last match in 2012 Olympics, she did not rule out competing for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, quote: “I’ve been asked that question many times because of my age. But there’s no reason for me to stop as long as this smile stays on my face and my body keeps holding out.”
Bindon announced her retirement from international football in February 2014.
Personal life
Bindon moved to New Zealand after her marriage to Grant Bindon, former captain of the New Zealand men’s volleyball team, whom she met while they were students at Lewis University. They have one son, Tyler.