Anna Meares: Five Things to Know About Australia’s Flag Bearer in the 2014 Commonwealth Games

A police officer provides security in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, July 21, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Young REUTERS

Anna Meares was chosen as Australia's flag bearer in the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow.

Anna reportedly struggled to curb his tears after it was announced that she would be holding the Australian flag in the opening ceremony of the international multi-sport event. Anna said in a statement as reported by ABC.net.au that she never thought that she would get the chance to carry the flag.

Who is Anna? Here are five things you need to know about the 30-year-old champion cyclist.

1.Anna Meares is the youngest of four children.

Anna was born to Anthony and Marilyn in 1983. She is the youngest of four children. She has a brother, Scott, who is the eldest in the family. She has two older sister, namely, Tracey and Kerrie.

2. Anna Meares began competitive cycling at the young age.

Anna started competitive cycling at 11 years old. She was inspired by her older sister Kerrie who was also into the same sport. In addition to Kerrie, Anna took inspiration from another Aussie racing cyclist Kathy Watt. According to her profile on her official Web site, she was watching the 1994 Commonwealth Games with her sister Kerrie and saw Kathy competing. That was when she discovered her passion for the sport.

3. Anna Meares is a multi-sport athlete.

Anna had gone through several sports other than cycling such as karate, triathlon, BMX, swimming, and tennis.

4. Anna Meares is a reigning gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games.

Anna has participated in the Commonwealth Games since 2002. She won a bronze medal then. She also competed in the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games where she took home silver and gold medals. The 2014 Commonwealth Games marks Anna's fourth participation in the tournament. All in all, Anna has won six medals in the said tournament. She has brought home four gold, one silver, and one bronze medals. In 2014, Anna will have another chance to cement her legacy in Australia's cycling community.

5. Anna Meares spends time with sick children.

Today Tonight Adelaide recently had a special feature on Anna. The news outlet reported about Anna's great personality. "Anna always makes time to share her winning smile with some of the state's sickest kids." Speaking about her good works and charity, Anna said it was "humbling and grounding" for her.

"To help someone else and to someone else to make them feel better is a really good feeling to be able to pay something positive forward to someone else.

To get to know Anna more, watch the video below: