Andrea was born February 25, 1966 in Chicago Illinois and grew up in Corpus Christi Texas. She hails from Norman Oklahoma and attended University of Oklahoma on a track scholarship. Andrea is 5' 6" tall, 113 pounds and incredibly oriented athletically speaking as both a runner and a cyclist. Andrea ran track and cross-country in High School in Corpus Christi before graduating in 1984.
Andrea received a track scholarship at Texas A&M and broke numerous records before transferring to University of Oklahoma. She was becoming a top runner before rupturing her Achilles tendon during a cross-country event. She ran her first marathon, a grueling 26.2 mile run in 1989, underwent surgery in February of 1989 and was told by her surgeon that she would never again run at the elite level.
In 1993, 94, Andrea started running again at the prompting of friends. In 1995 she was rated Number (2) in the country in women's marathon. Andrea ran in Grandma's Marathon in Duluth Minnesota. Andrea placed 2nd in the race and it was the closest finish ever in the history of the event. Andrea ran a 2:34:20 which ranked her as number (2) in the USA. Andrea had it in her sights to be the world record holder, and she trained in the Colorado mountains at 12,000 feet, but it proved to be too much for her Achilles tendon as she was to need repeated surgeries.
Copyright or © - Phil Marques
Liberty Classic
Manayunk Wall in 2000!
That got her into cycling as part of recuperation and rehabilitation. In 1997 Andrea hit the national cycling scene winning nearly every race she entered. After seeing the death of a fellow cyclist, Nicole Reinhart at BMC Software Cycling Grand Prix, she decided to take a break and returned to running in 2000. From that time to the present day, Andrea has continued to compete in both running and cycling, doing not only marathons, but triathlons and dualathlons as well.
Kimberly Bruckner who was her former cycling teammate and pro duathlete herself told Andrea they were fun and Kimberly thought Andrea would be good at them. Ratkovic made a name for herself by winning the U.S. national title in Carlsbad California and the rest as they say is history! Andrea has become one of the world's greatest duathletes placing 3rd in the World in 2006. Andrea had yet another Achilles surgery in August of 2006. A incredibly gifted athlete who's heart in the end, was too strong for the rest of her body to keep pace with.
Cycling in of itself can be all consuming, and Andrea passion first and foremost is running, but she loves cycling as well for an excellent alternative when she's not running. Andrea's boundless energy and infectious antics made her one of the outstanding characters of the top pro ranks. She was nicknamed the "Rat" adding spice to the peleton and loved to mix it up, she was a extremely aggressive rider with an unbridled passion, and stood toe to toe with many of the great women Pros both on and off the bike. If Andrea got miffed with someone in a race, sometimes she would sabotage her own chances to settle the score. Andrea was a well accomplished red belt in Tae Kwon Do, and taught classes at the local gym, so if she got angry, she could certainly back it up!
Copyright or © - Phil Marques
Killington criterium - 2000!
Andrea had exchanged hard words on occasion with not only rivals, but coaches and support staff as
well, but she was quick to apologize if needed and move on. She stood up for her team-mates when
needed, and towed the line as well. Her vivacious bubbly personality and antics lends itself to both admiration and praise, but also as a bit of a maverick on the cycling scene. Her aggressive way of speaking her mind, with her off the cuff, wearing her emotions on the sleeve, what you see is what you get, with her flamboyant tattoos and bit of attitude, is her trademark. Andrea always said she liked to play, and boy could she play! She could really mix it up!
Andrea has a polished demeanor however, that can instantly round off any harsh words that leave her mouth. She was a scrapper in every respect, both on and off the bike, and cycling for Andrea was an outlet for anger and boundless energy which she could release often when running was not an option. Andrea has what few rare athletes have, it's called Gannas in Spanish, Grinta in Italian, but perhaps most famously known as Panache in French! Merckx had it, Bartali and Coppi has it, Luperini had it, and Greg Lemond had it, but in all my years of following cycling I have rarely seen a female rider like this. Certainly Andrea Ratovic had Panache, and then some! She had fire in her belly, and a burning desire to achieve and she certainly was a gifted athlete with a genetic makeup bordering on something along the lines of the Fifth Element!
Andrea has experienced both victory and defeat, triumph and tremendous tragedy, including a broken back, and witnessed the tragic real time death of one of her peers. Andrea also battled Lyme's disease, which is also known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It's a bacterial infection transmitted by the deer tick, and left untreated can be deadly. A course of tetracycline for treatment is standard for *Lyme's disease, and it's common in some mountain communities.
Other close encounters include not only devastating crashes in races, but once she was shot by a carload of kids driving by the bike path she was riding on, and like Superman or Wonderwomen, the bullets bounced off!, well sort of, they glanced off but that fits her character well! On another occasion Andrea was out peddling when a tornado hit and followed her home in the blinding rain, but probably one of the worse encounter was when she was attacked by two dogs while out riding! Andrea was thrown to the pavement where she sustained a concussion, and she required 8 staples in her head, as well as severe road rash on both her arm and leg. This was her 4th head injury and Andrea had up to 16 staples previously. Well, Just another day at the office for Andrea!
Andrea originally took up cycling because she was injured running. Andrea didn't have goals in
cycling per say, since running was her specialty. She never cared much about her placings, she just road as hard as she could, all the time. She didn't train properly, partly because she was so
fixated on running that she saw it as a boost to her running, so the prizes and awards in cycling
were secondary.
Copyright or © - Phil Marques
Andrea Ratkovic, Third from Left
Tour De Toona - 2000!
She was incorrigible on the bike, but those in the know around her, saw her great potential in
cycling and often told her about it, but her dream was to run. Andrea wanted to break the world
record and be the first women under 2:20, and she did run a 2:34:20. Just a few years before that she had Achilles surgery and was told that she would never again run at the elite level.
She was in college at the time, and didn't run for years. Then she started running again and two
year later she became number (2) in the USA. In the 1996 Marathon Trials Andrea was touted as the
next great runner. Again she had surgery in September of 1996 after she re-ruptured her Achilles,
training in the mountains near Alamosa Colorado.
After that she took up cycling, and found it not only as another platform to excel, but a great alternative when she is not running. Oddly at times, she was not supposed to run or train with running as it would conflict with her directors orders. Sometimes the best of both worlds just can't be, but she adapted with perseverance and blew through every obstacle set before her.
During 1996, Andrea cut a groove into her cast so that her foot would stick to the pedal better, and she began mountain biking around town. Such was her brash and unfettered attitude towards life. When she got her cast off, she started road cycling. In 1997, she hit the NRC circuit. Andrea was
encouraged to race both locally and regionally, but her instincts told her to hit the national scene. She knows how to suffer, and figured she could stake her claim.
However, a long term nagging Achilles heal injury has repeatedly put her dreams on hold, but unlike Anna Millward, when one race, the world championships became the beginning of the end with her nagging hamstring injury, Andrea has persisted, endured, and continues to run and pedal the long lonely miles into the distance sunsets of Norman Oklahoma. Andrea has repeatedly blurred the lines between optimal fitness, over-training, injury, and recovery so much so that it has become a way of life with her. Andrea just takes it one day at a time now, and has come to accept the cards she was dealt in life, and if she can play up her hand, or pull a joker out of the deck, she'll do exactly that!
Andrea is also a very funny person as well. Her humor and manner of speaking is hilarious at times. Reading her thoughts on cycling is incredibly interesting and fun because she knows how to
articulate her take on cycling in a way that brings out the best, no matter if it's good or bad. She certainly is a colorful character even sporting purple hair in one race, and a blond Mohawk at another, add to that a body laced with a few unique tattoos!
At other times you might find her in a straw cowboy hat, with blue jeans seen as the southern belle from Corpus Christi, don't mess with Texas! As a saying of the old west, Andrea rode (Hell for Leather), racing her ass off nearly every time she got on the bike! She was a great climber, proving her climbing prowess time and again, as the most aggressive rider in HP Women's Challenge, and she won the Mogollan Road Race at the Tour of the Gila by leaving Nicole Freedman behind on the climb to victory.
Now in the late 90's, Andrea's started racing both National and International circuit. She won races like Melon city, Quad City, Kansas city tour, and she did manage a 2nd and 3rd placing in the Tour of the Gila, so things were looking up! Andrea was running well at the time and went on to win big as a Marathon runner. Andrea originally took up cycling in 1997 as a way to recover from her Achilles injuries.
So from 1997 to 1999 she quickly rose through the ranks winning a slew of races including being named the most aggressive rider in the 1999 HP International Women's Challenge. She rode Killington stage race in 1997 which Linda Jackson was riding and winning big at that time, with her legendary battles with Fabiana Luperini in the Giro De Feminin. Andrea came to greatly admire Linda and stated she was a totally awesome badass climber.
Being a good climber herself, the two peers had something in common and it wouldn't be the last time their paths would cross. It was at HP in 99 that Andrea was climbing well and passing nearly everyone on the way to the finish at the ski resort at Pomerelle. Linda Jackson crashed badly that day with severe road rash, but she managed to win the stage! Andrea was off the front, and while passing nearly everyone in sight, she paid the price and hit the wall, near the top, (bonkers) that is. Andrea cried at the top since she finished 17th on the day, but tears turned to joy when she was voted the most aggressive rider of the tour! She finished 10th on the final GC.
Jeannie Longo won the overall standings that year at HP, Linda Jackson took 5th and Andrea finished a respectable 10th on the final GC., not bad considering her first time at the hardest stage race in the world! Linda Jackson was a pure climber and one of the greatest ever after the likes of Fabiana Luperini and Genevieve Jeanson, but Andrea may very well be one of the top ten greatest climbers of all times, just based on her climbing exploits, but we will never know for sure. Cycling was just not a fulltime passion. She was a mountain goat in every respect, and what if? So many what if's!!
At the 1997 Tour of Texas when Clara Hughes was there, and Andrea lead her out for a sprint and then got dropped HARD! Andrea eventually caught the pack like she usually does, but Andrea only has two speeds, fast and stop! She was fast but not fast enough to win, because Andrea has always said she wasn't a good sprinter. Andrea was a brawler. She just got in there and mixed it up! She went hell for leather in nearly every race she entered! One girl accused her of accepting a ride. Andrea called her a bitch, flipped her off, and said she didn't need a ride. Andrea proceeded to catch the pack on her own. It took over an hour, but she did it. That's just how gutsy a scrapper she is! Andrea is really sweet and friendly but if you cross her lines unfairly, she won't internalize it, she will fire back! Andrea certainly was cut from good stock, and she won't pull any punches, literally speaking!
During the HP in 1999, the Germans were trying to lead out Petra for the sprint, and Andrea was in the mix! She was leading and blocking the way and Germans did respect Andrea, but when Andrea wouldn't budge, they pushed her out of the way! It was strong-arm tactics for sure, but everyone know Petra was the queen of sprinting, and the Germans weren't going to allow Petra to miss this one on the count of this Maverick from Texas! However Petra was always nice to Andrea and Andrea respected her too.
Copyright or © - Phil Marques
Andrea Ratkovic, Center in Blue!
Tour De Toona - 2000!
Andrea raced hard constantly, all out very aggressively on nearly every occasion and the people loved her for it. On Memorial Day weekend of 1997, she went on the rampage winning Snake Alley and a slew of other races on the circuit, it had never been done before! Andrea got 1st place in the 1999 Masters Road Race at Fort Smith Arkansas and took 2nd in the time trial. Also in 1999 she won a stage in Grand Prix Feminine International du Quebec outsprinting Dede Demet Barry and Annie Gariepy. While also winning the Lakota Cup, and taking 2nd place at Killington stage race in Vermont, she took 2nd and 3rd in two stages at the Gila.
In 1999 in Parker Arizona Andrea crashed really really hard at the end in gravel. Linda crashed just behind her. When Andrea sat up Linda was there reaching out to her. Andrea said, "Oh my God, are you Linda Jackson?" It was so funny because Linda was the queen bee on the team, and she was difficult to get along with sometimes according to some people. Andrea loved Linda a lot and they never had any problems.
Odessa Gunn and Andrea roomed with Linda in Quebec, and Odessa and Andrea were chit-chatting one night with the bartender. It was like 9pm and Linda comes in tapping on her wristwatch. She said it was bedtime, so Odessa and Andrea promptly went to their room, but they weren't mad because they understood Linda got up every morning at like 6am to make her coffee, and it didn't matter, because she was Linda Jackson, and in Andrea mind, she could do whatever she wanted. Linda rode her bike like a rockstar, and at the time, in the short span of what was a late start to her career, she was brilliant, to say the least, and I know Andrea really respected her professionally speaking.
In 2000 Andrea took QOM in Genisoy Criterium at Solano Beach California. With five laps to go Andrea escaped with Saturn's Suzy Pryde and the two looked like they had a shot at winning, but only one second separated them on GC. The team plan was for Andrea to win the sprint, however the charging pack caught the duo near the end. The final road race involved early attacks by Andrea and she collected enough QOM points. A break of Andrea and Caren Spore at one point gained one minute and were the GC leaders on the road at one point, but they were brought back by Saturn and 800.com.
At Tour of Willamette Andrea took 2nd place in stage 2 and won the Queen of the Mountains sprint from Pam Schuster. In stage 3, Pam Schuster was unable to match the leaders, Andrea was going well, and finished 3rd in the Wolf Creek mountains sprint, just nine seconds behind Timex's Tracey Gaudry. On the final stage, Andrea worked extra hard to try and get a stage win for Tina. Tina took 4th maintaining her NRC lead.
In 2000 Mike Neel became director of AutoTrader.Com. Andrea was the 2nd highest paid rider next to Anke Erlank of South Africa. During this time, it should be noted that Andrea was training and racing with two chronic back injuries and a recurrent bulged disc. If this wasn't Superwomen, I don't know what is! Andrea was riding well and won stage 2, Silver City to Mogollan Road race in the Tour of the Gila, one of the hardest stage races in North America.
Stage 2 started out calmly with a moderate tempo but Andrea countered Tina Mayolo's attack on the last sprint and went clear with Odessa Gunn, Sara Ulmer and Nicole Freedman. The pack let them go and sat up, and the break gained time on the slowly moving peloton. The break was working hard in rotation. At the bottom of the final climb the breakaway gained four minutes, but Andrea punctured three miles before the bottom of the climb and managed to chase back.
Upon catching the group she then attacked the group with Nicole Freedman in tow. Andrea let Nicole do the turn up the last steep three mile section of the finishing climb but she blew up and Andrea attacked her in the last mile, finishing solo for the victory! Mogollan Road race finishes in a 4 mile climb that starts at 6,000 feet above sea level, but Andrea was used to riding or running at altitude. It was one of her sweetest victories!
In stage 3, Andrea took 3rd in the sprint bonus six miles in and racked up some sprint money! But the smiles all around turned to pain, when Andrea crashed on the second descent on a hairy curve! In years past these corners were notorious for piling up women, but Andrea got back on track and went speeding by Tina with the blood dripping from her chin like a goatee.
Yes, this is that famous incident everyone remembers, and a bit funny if we can laugh a little about that in retrospect. Of course Andrea wasn't laughing too much, and perhaps like Hinault and Luperini, Andrea had dreams of winning the stage with the battle scars of war that day! Andrea said "I crashed on one of those switchbacks there when Nicole Freedman tapped her breaks. I split my chin open, and blood was gushing everywhere. It looked cool! I was still leader on the road for our team which was even cooler!"
Andrea raced in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Natchez Mississippi, and serious attacks started during the second lap, as AutoTrader squad began firing one rider after another off the front. Andrea escaped with former Olympian Dede Demet Barry of Saturn and newcomer Katrina Berger. The aggressive trio quickly gained ten seconds, but were soon neutralized after a strong Timex chase led by Giana Roberge. Everyone knew if it came down to a sprint, Nicole Freedman was likely to win. Andrea got a flat and had to drop back.
There were a record number of flats that day, a cycling mystery to be sure! Andrea had missed her Olympic spot simply because this was one of the few times she decided not to let her instincts rule the day. Had she just gone out hell for leather, she might of got the ticket she was dreaming of. But there was another chance at the next Olympics, surely better days might lie ahead.
In the 2000 HP International Women's Challenge, Andrea took 3rd place in stage 11, Middleton to Hyde Park, Boise Idaho. The plan was to ride up front and Andrea was going to go early in her famous aggressive style. Andrea made the first attack against the head wind with Odessa Gunn of Timex. In last year's edition, Andrea attacked early on and stayed clear almost the entire race, but lightning wasn't going to strike in the same place twice this year, the riders were alert and they knew her reputation!
After a wicked crash in which Tina Mayolo and Pam Schuster were casualties, Andrea went to the front at the beginning of the climb and attempted to ride away with Cybil Diguistini. But with Andrea being the true team mate she is, Andrea hung back with Pam who was having a hard time because of that nasty crash. This is what cycling should be about. It's not about winning, but how you play the game, and often it's said that the experience itself is more important then winning.
Sportsmanship and ethics goes way back and has it's roots in the early Tours. Often the fans will love a great rider based on the spirit of fair play more then winning. I think Andrea always had her priorities in order, when it came to what's called turn about and fair play! Andrea loved to play, but she played fair, and resented it when others wouldn't. It's true she did ride (Hell for Leather), but not when it was unfair to her team mates!
Andrea placed 2nd in stage five of the 2000 edition of Wendy's International Cycling Classic Columbus Bike Race in Columbus Ohio. Andrea did race reports for CN at the time, and she reported that on the stage 3 downhill section the race director had set up a radar tracking printout screen, so you could actually see how fast you were screaming down it. She remembered seeing 38 mph pretty often, so it was obviously a very fun day!
Andrea made several attacks that day and even got some good breaks going, but nothing stuck until she made a last ditch all out attack! After a bit she looked back and saw Julie Young had made the break along with Karen Dunne, Annie Gariepy, Katrina Berger, Nicole Reinhart, and a girl with the New Zealand team. Andrea attacked with about 5 laps to go, so all they had to do was work hard, and they would stay away. It was her job to give Julie a leadout. Andrea legs were shot from earlier efforts, but she attacked the break with about 1K to go, and Katrina came with her, but then so did everybody else. Julie Young placed second on the day thanks to Andrea, Nicole Reinhart won the day.
During stage 5, the AutoTrader team was by far the most aggressive and really worked hard to get away attacking constantly. Andrea was off for 5 laps or so until she was reeled in by Katrina Berger. AutoTrader did a spectacular job blocking while Andrea was away but they just couldn't pull it off that day. Ironically, in stage five of the 2001 edition of Wendy's, Andrea took 2nd place just getting nipped at the line!
During the 2000 Sequoia classic, Pam Schuster wrote of Andrea that The AutoTrader team definitely wanted to play hard and even when Andrea Ratkovic wasn't feeling her best she would attack with her heart and inspire us all. In fact many who contributed race reports spoke well often of Andrea exploits in their race reports including Pam Schuster, Gina Roberge, Karen Kurreck, Anna Wilson Millward, Tracey Gaudry and Nicole Freedman.
Andrea raced in the Niwot Criterium in Niwot Colorado in 2000. Andrea went clear, gaining eight seconds before being reeled in by a chase led by Saturn. Pam Schuster attacked hard with just fifteen minutes remaining and never looked back, while Andrea crashed in a turn just after Schuster broke away but she wasn't seriously injured. Afterwards, although she may have lost some skin, but not an ounce of class, Andrea refused to accept a prize she had won, instead asking that it be donated to a rider from one of the amateur teams. It was a nice touch of class, and an a fine example of fair play, honor and sportsmanship.
Also in 2000 Andrea won the (Another Dam Race) in Parker Arizona, but happiness soon turned to grief when Andrea witnessed the death of Nicole Reinhart in the BMC Tour of Arlington on September 17. Andrea said, "I remember being next to her when she hit that tree because we were in a break, and I was getting ready to lead out Tina. I was thinking that Nicole was about to win $250,000! I was going to do my best to lead Tina out, but I knew Nicole was going to win. She was just That good!"
Andrea said that she would never forget that day as it like being in slow motion. Andrea had hit that same hole and so had many other riders. In fact Nicole had even crashed earlier in the race, but was back on track to win. Andrea decided right then and there to quit cycling. She never washed her AutoTrader jersey, and keep it in memory of Nicole. Visions of that day continues to haunt Andrea, but Nicole would of wanted Andrea to keep racing and after a time, Andrea was able to pull herself together and get back into the sport. Who knows how many other riders quit that day. It was perhaps the saddest day even in North American's women's professional racing.
Copyright or © - Phil Marques
Stage 3 (Hollidaysburg)
From Left, Anne Samplonius
Andrea Ratkovic, Tracey
Gaudry, Lyne Bessette
Tour De Toona - 2000!
Andrea didn't race much in 2001. She signed with 800.com in 2001 because they allowed her to run, so that was a big plus for Andrea. She won the UCSD El Cajon Criterium in El Cajon California and took 2nd place in stage 5 of Wendy's International Cycling Classic in Columbus Ohio.
Andrea was suppose to ride for Atlanta Velo in selected cycling events in 2002. The likeable triathlete and 2001 U.S. Elite Duathlete of the Year was to focus her season on multi-sport events in an attempt to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games triathlon in Athens.
However, her 2001 season came to an end in August at the Tour de Toona. During the Martinsburg stage that finished in a steady downpour, Ratkovic went down hard in a crash that ended her season with a broken back. If her Achilles was not enough to torment Andrea, adding insult to injury, this pretty much ended her season. Although Andrea was supposed to sign with Atlanta Velo for 2002, she didn't race in 2002 much, and opted to focus on recovering and getting back into running, as it was her lifelong passion.
In 2003, Andrea took 2nd in Arlington Classic Criterium at Arlington Heights Illinois. Magen Long sprinted past Andrea up the slight rise to the finish line for the win, with Andrea taking second and TDS rider Shawn Heidgen in third place. Also in 2003 Andrea won a number of regional races including Lake Front Road Race and Isle of Capri Criterium. She took the Masters Road Race in Louisville Kentucky, and the Master's Nationals road race in Cherokee Park Kentucky. Andrea also had good results at Superweek in 2003 when she raced for Wisconsin Health Fitness.
During that time she received injections in her Achilles. It was called Reconstructive Therapy and cost Andrea around $220 a session. She went for 10 days straight. Normally people come in once a week and Andrea was doing it everyday! Andrea said, "I remember driving there each day and crying in the car because I knew the pain I was in for. I had about 20 injections into my right foot, all over it! Damn, it hurt like hell!!" Andrea foot would be bleeding, and then she would go race. She had blood all over my sock and still won the Lakefront Circuit Race by about 2 minutes!
Andrea lead out Magen Long in some races and Lyne Gaggioli on others. Lyne asked Andrea to join Velo Bella for the San Francisco Grand Prix. Now of course everyone knows the reputation of this killer race and it's incredibly steep climbs! Andrea passed so many girls including T-Mobile girls up that Taylor Street climb, as Andrea was pretty much a pure climber in her own right! Of course Nicole Cooke has become well known for her sprints to the finish in both SFGP and Fleche Wallonne. It's very sad that SFGP, otherwise know as T-Mobile International no longer exists over a dispute about back payments to the city.
In 2004, Andrea was riding for TDS-Schwalbe, but didn't have much results that year. Andrea was injured during a training ride in Norman Oklahoma when she was attacked by two dogs. She crashed when one of the dogs crossed over in front of her bike and sent her head over heals into the payment. She sustained a head trauma that required eight staples in her head, plus a concussion and severe road rash on both her arm and leg. She was taken to the emergency room where she was treated and released. Still recovering from the crash and sometimes severe headaches, Andrea continued to race in Pomona Valley Stage Race and Redlands Bicycle Classic.
In 2005, Andrea won stage 2 in the Redland Bicycle Classic in Redlands California. After coming home from Ironman New Zealand, Magen Long asked Andrea to ride at Redlands for the Bicycle Store. As Ina Teutenberg was blasting off the front Andrea got up to Teutenberg's wheel, and the two were away for good. In the end Ina dropped Andrea on the last lap and finished alone, but Ina was one of the best sprinters in the world, so taking 2nd to Ina was not so bad. Andrea rode strongly to come home a very respectable second!
Andrea won her local 89er Campus Corner Criterium in Norman Oklahoma that year too and set the record in winning the 2005 Oklahoma State Time Trial Championship at Tuttle Oklahoma. In 2006 she won the time trial at Valley of the Sun in Phoenix Arizona. She took 2nd place in the stage race.
On Monday October 10th, 2005 Andrea was shot while riding her bike. Andrea was riding on a bike path when a car in the road lane closest to her opened fire with a small caliber gun firing several shots but only hitting her once in the lower back. With great composure, she attended her vital signs, and managed to have the guts and willpower to ride up to the car to confront her attackers, an incredibly bold thing to do. Andrea got the car's registration number and filed a police report, before being taken to hospital for treatment. However like Superman, the bullets glanced off! Such is the life of Superwomen Andrea Ratkovic!
Andrea Ratkovic is a survivor, and her story is one of great pain and suffering, perseverance, and the incredible ability to come back time and again from career ending injuries. Once before the Olympic trials, Andrea contracted food poisoning and was ill for days losing 5 pounds. She refused to give up, and ran anyway. Only 7 miles in she collapsed unable to continue, but this is part and parcel of the way Andrea lived her life, never say die, never give up, she was a fighter, and has never given up to this very day.
Andrea continues to run and race bikes today, and she works at Oklahoma City hospital as a radiographer technician. If you would like to read lots of good personal writings of Andrea, try her journals from TDS. There is some fun reading on her trip to Mallorca and so much more! Its over at runnertriathletenews.com linked below!
