Erin Baker facts for kids
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| Birth name | Erin Margaret Baker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 May 1961 Kaiapoi, New Zealand |
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| Country | New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Triathlon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Erin Margaret Baker is a famous former triathlete from New Zealand. She was born on May 23, 1961. Erin won many big championships, including world titles and Ironman races. She is known as one of the best female triathletes ever.
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Erin Baker's Early Life
Erin Baker was born in 1961 in Kaiapoi, New Zealand. When she was 15, her mother, Mary, suggested she try running. Erin was naturally good at it right away. Her mother remembered her first cross-country race. She thought Erin might not do well, but Erin finished first, much earlier than expected!
Erin grew up in a big family with eight children. Many of her siblings were also talented athletes. Her sister, Philippa Baker, was a New Zealand rower. Two other sisters, Kathy and Maureen, won national titles in swimming and aerobics.
Her Amazing Triathlon Career
Erin Baker was coached by John Hellemans at first. But she mostly trained herself to become a champion. She believed in training a lot. She once said, "I trained and trained, and I trained more if I had time." This hard work helped her stay strong and avoid injuries.
Standing Up for Fairness
Erin was also known for speaking her mind. At the Hawaii Ironman competitions, she protested against unfair treatment. The men's winner received a car, but the women's winner received nothing. Erin spoke out many times about this issue. She wanted women athletes to be treated fairly. This made her a well-known and sometimes controversial athlete.
A Record-Breaking Athlete
Erin Baker ended her triathlon career in 1994. She had an incredible record of 104 wins out of 121 races. That's a huge number of victories!
The American magazine Triathlete called her the "Triathlete of the decade." They praised her success, saying, "We’ve stopped trying to figure Erin out, we just accept her as the best female triathlete that ever lived."
In 1993, Erin Baker was given a special award. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was for her great achievements as a triathlete.
Major Achievements and Results
Erin Baker had many impressive wins throughout her career. Here are some of her key results:
- 1984: Won her very first triathlon in Sydney.
- 1985: Won the world middle-distance championship in Nice, France.
- 1986: New Zealand Ironman female winner.
- 1987: New Zealand Ironman female winner.
- 1987: Won the female division at the Ford Ironman championships in Hawaii. She broke the previous course record!
- 1987: Won the world short course title.
- 1988: Won the world middle-distance championship in Nice, France.
- 1988: Won the world short course title.
- 1988: Won the World Championships (Olympic distance) in Canada.
- 1989: Named New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year at the Halberg awards.
- 1990: Won the Women's demonstration Triathlon at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
- 1990: Won the female division at the Ford Ironman championships in Hawaii.
- 1990: New Zealand Ironman female winner.
- 1991: Won the World Duathlon title.
- 1994: New Zealand Ironman female winner.
- 1994: Retired as a professional athlete.
- 1995: Was honored by being put into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.
- She won a total of 9 Ironman titles in her career.
Life After Triathlon
Today, Erin Baker lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. She is married to Scott Molina, who was also a triathlete. They have two children together.
After her sports career, Erin also served her community. She was a councillor on the Christchurch City Council. She also worked on the Canterbury District Health Board and other local boards.
See also
In Spanish: Erin Baker para niños
