Filmmaker Statement

At the peak of Erin Baker’s career Triathlete Magazine said, “We’ve stopped trying to figure Erin out, we just accept her as the greatest female triathlete that ever lived”. Three decades later, we tried to get our head around her. Residual name recognition remains for those who followed triathlon in the 1980s and 90s, but the true extent of Erin’s dominance and the profound impact she had on the sport has rarely been quantified - largely due to her disinterest in media or self-congratulation. In this doco, sister Maureen, former coach John Hellemans and (more matter-of-factly) Erin herself recall the relentlessly pragmatic, “whatever it takes” attitude that led Erin to win virtually every event on the world circuit, and to risk her career and criminal record fighting for justice off the race course. For me, this film is recognition of one truly exceptional woman, and also of a personality type that is rarely celebrated in the media. My hope is that viewers find a new idol in Erin.