When multi-sport was in its formative years in the 1980s, Erin Baker was without peer in gaining success over a variety of distances and disciplines to such an extent that her feats continue to stand the test of time.

Baker won her first world triathlon title at Nice in 1985 and repeated it the following year. The next year, she won the world sprint title in Perth and in 1988 won world titles in both sprint and ironman events.

She also won a world duathlon title and went close to selection as a distance runner in New Zealand Games teams, all the while continuing her dominance in her first event, the triathlon.

She ended her career with a final tally of eight world triathlon titles over a variety of distances.