Georgia Baker has revealed the horrifying signs of a heavy concussion that prematurely ended her season final 12 months.
The 30-year-old took a quick respite following the Paris Olympics and had simply acquired again right into a rhythm when she was hit from behind by a automobile on a coaching experience in Spain.
“It took me about three months to recover from the concussion,” Baker informed Cyclingnews on the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
“I couldn’t race just about the final finish of the season, so my final race was truly the Olympics.”
The Liv Alula Jayco spearhead says she’s match now however learnt loads about concussions by means of the terrifying expertise, from sensations that derailed her skill to coach even indoors, to having imaginative and prescient issues.
“It’s a kind of issues the place you are taking two steps ahead, one step again, and you then’re forwards and backwards once more, that’s how I felt. It was a giant head-knock,” she stated.
“Then I had some issues with my imaginative and prescient in my left eye, and that was the principle challenge. They thought perhaps I had one thing fallacious, like a retinal tear, so I needed to get some extra data from different docs to verify I used to be clear to race, or clear to begin coaching once more.
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“But total, it took me a very long time to recover from feeling nauseous. I’d exit coaching or on the ergo and I’d simply really feel actually sick the entire time.”
The sport has positioned extra of an emphasis on concussion and concussion protocols lately, and Baker was grateful for the way savvy her staff was to it.
“The eye and the mind a part of it – that’s a brand new factor,” she stated. “It’s like a special symptom, it’s not a standard symptom, so we’re studying loads with that.”
The former Commonwealth Games gold medallist skipped the Australian nationwide street championships in Perth earlier this month, to proceed constructing her base for the Tour Down Under, the place she made her 2025 season debut.
Baker completed second on the ensuing Schwalbe Women’s One Day Classic in Adelaide, South Australia, after which third on the Surf Coast Classic in Geelong, Victoria. She performed a staff position on the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the place her fast and prolonged household confirmed their assist from the group.
“With the crash, my pre-season was a bit bit delayed,” Baker stated.
“I really feel like I’m simply stepping into some good kind now. My position over the summer season was simply to work for the staff. To have the alternatives the final couple of races was actually thrilling and in addition I needed to do the staff proud. That’s been actually rewarding.”
Baker has taken confidence from her marketing campaign in Australia as she builds towards the spring classics – her first huge goal for the season.
“These races actually set us up nicely I feel for the cobbled classics,” she stated.
As her outcomes recommend, courageous Baker hasn’t skilled any concern getting again on the bike and into racing after her heavy head-knock, however stays vigilant, as all the time, in coaching.
“Obviously out coaching on the street I really feel like I’m all the time actually conscious as a result of, you understand, you hear some horrible tales and a few horrible accidents have occurred,” she stated. “When I’m out coaching, I all the time really feel like I’m very conscious of what’s round me.
“But, yeah, I suppose racing I change mindset and it’s a bit bit completely different now.”
Baker is about to give attention to a full street programme this season, after competing on the observe on the Paris Games. She hasn’t dominated out a future return to the velodrome for the LA 2028.
“If I wish to do some observe sooner or later it is going to be extra bunch stuff. With staff pursuit, I feel that I’ll go away that behind and transfer ahead to the street and the bunch.”