Dad by Georgia Baker’s side for her tilt at Olympic gold with the women’s team pursuit cyclists

THERE will be no one in the Rio velodrome prouder than Dearne Baker when the track cycling program starts.

Georgia Baker with her father Patrick, before his death in 2015.

THERE will be no one in the Rio velodrome prouder than Dearne Baker when the track cycling program starts ­tomorrow morning.

Not only for what her daughter Georgia has overcome to realise her Olympic dream, but also for the person she has become in the face of adversity.

The death of Dearne’s husband, and Georgia’s dad, Patrick, last year to a sudden heart attack has been well publicised as the driving force behind the 21-year-old’s determination to achieve her goals.

Georgia Baker’s sister Phoebe and mum Dearne prepare for the trip to Rio.

Yet for Georgia’s mum, it is so much more than whatever unfolds on the boards when the Australian team pursuit quartet opens its quest for Olympic redemption.

“Georgia has not changed how she treats people at all, she is a beautiful person, inside and out,” Dearne told the Mercury before flying to Rio from Launceston on Monday.

“She is definitely someone I admire. Apart from her cycling success, I am pretty proud of her for the young woman she has become.

“She is independent, strong, she can be stubborn but she is all those things I am really proud of.

“Georgia has always been a determined young lady, even when she was really young.

“She always wanted to be the best in everything she did and, I think with Patrick passing away, she has been so ­driven and so determined.

“She would have got there [eventually] because she has the talent, but the driving force behind her has definitely been Patrick and wanting to do it not only for herself, but for him, too.

“I take my hat off to her. She is very much like her dad.”

“Team G” at Launceston Airport on Monday before heading to Rio, from left, mum Dearne, sister Phoebe and grandparents Marilyn and Graeme Eberhardt and Helen and Michael Baker.

The Australian squad has had a tumultuous build up to its campaign – crashing at race speed on Tuesday in an incident that sent Melissa Hopkins to hospital with a badly bruised hip and four of the five members missing skin from track burn.

Georgia Baker is making her Olympic debut. Picture: SARAH REED

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However, they are expected to recover in time for their heat at 5.19am tomorrow, with the memory of Patrick to be at the forefront of Georgia’s mind.

“She has definitely come out the other end and is definitely stronger – I just wish he was here to see all of this and experience it with Georgia,” Dearne said.

“But I know she will line up and know her dad is there with her, like he has been through this whole journey. Hopefully she uses that to her advantage.”