Taranaki Athlete Brings Home Gold
72-year-old Taranaki triathlete Joy Baker has been representing New Zealand since 2008 and has many international medals to her name. But this enthusiastic athlete might never have taken up the sport if she hadn’t been sidelined by a painful netball injury.
“Up to the year 2000 I played Netball, Basketball, Soccer and Squash. Then I injured my Anterior Cruciate Ligament in my knee playing Netball. I was 49 and was very disappointed as I wanted to play until I was 50. My Orthopaedic Surgeon clipped a small piece of bone away and advised me to take up cycling to keep my thigh muscles strong to protect my knees,” said Joy.
“I had not cycled since high school, so it took me a year to get on the bike. I started doing cycling events and then the Women’s introductory Triathlons came to Taranaki, and I was hooked.
“In 2008 I gave up playing Netball and Squash and competed in my first World Duathlon Championships in Rimini, Italy, finishing 7th. Since then, I have competed at 15 World Championship events either Triathlons, Duathlons or Masters Games where I have won 8 Golds, 9 Silvers and 6 Bronze World Medals.”
Competing at the World Championship events, usually in other countries, is very expensive.
“To represent New Zealand at World Championship events I have had to travel to qualifying events and pay entry fees along with accommodation. Once qualified, there are travel expenses, accommodation, transport, insurance, entry and administration fees for each World Championship event.
In 2023, Toi funding of $1500 enabled Joy to travel to the World Triathlon Championships at Pontevedra, Spain. She won the Gold Medal in the World Super Sprint Triathlon Championships and the Silver Medal in the World Aquabike Championships.
