Dearne Baker – Georgia Baker’s mum (cycling – track)
Well the countdown is on! In less than a week I will be making the long journey from Tassie to Rio. Joining me will be my daughter Phoebe and grandparents, Graeme, Mal, Michael and Helen. It really is fantastic that they are coming along to support and cheer on Georgia as they have been marvellous since Patrick (my husband, girls’ dad) passed away last year. We are an extremely close family and they – along with aunts, uncles and cousins – have been following Georgia’s cycling career from the beginning. It really has been a family affair and no it’s not just a Tassie thing!
Like most families the organisation for us to get to Rio has been rather full-on as I like to be extremely organised and tend to have lists upon lists of jobs that need to be done and essential items that I need to pack. Flights, accommodation, tickets, vaccinations and most importantly insect repellent have all been ticked off the list, so it seems to me as though I’m somewhat semi-organised!
But hey who’s complaining? There’s not many parents that get the opportunity to go to an Olympic Games, let alone go there to cheer on one of their own! To tell you the truth I can’t believe my little girl (sorry big girl) is going to be an Olympian, it’s crazy! Please don’t get me wrong she deserves it, she has worked extremely hard and sacrificed so much (like all Olympians) but wow this is Georgia Baker from Perth, Tasmania!
This trip in some ways will be bitter sweet as Georgia’s biggest supporter, her dad, won’t be sitting in the stands with the rest of us screaming and cheering on his girl. But I have no doubt that he will be there like he has done from the beginning, encouraging and pedalling alongside her.
Now I am asking as I am a dreadful spectator who gets ridiculously nervous, doesn’t eat or sleep and has a constant headache when watching Georgia compete,can anyone please give me some useful tips on how I can overcome this? Seriously, any help will be greatly appreciated (especially by my travelling companions)!
