"I never knew what I was in for at 12 years old participating in the swim portion of a co-ed relay at the Lancaster, PA YMCA Triathlon." ~ Andrew Yoder

About Andrew Yoder

Bio:

Swimming competitively since five years old, I thought the swim leg in the relay would present both a challenge and refreshing experience from the monotonous nature of pool swimming. The atmosphere and physical challenge that I had witnessed inspired me to compete in a sprint distance triathlon attempt two years later. At the time, I had been focused on swimming but I figured with my aerobic conditioning, I could handle the biking and running. I was wrong! With little riding experience, I crashed twice on the bike and walked most of the run. It was by far the hardest thing I had ever done. My first thought after crossing the finish was that I would ever do another race but the experience also sparked a fire and motivation to see how fast I could become. It was a passion to succeed that I never felt in swimming or school. I was hooked.

Throughout high school, I continued to swim but my focus was on triathlon. I developed rapidly and found a natural ability on the bike. In 2006, I started to win competitive regional races and with the help of a coach, I started to strive to become a professional. Over the next year, I balanced school and triathlon with the hopes of getting into a good school and also racing competitively. By June of 2007 and age 17, I had my professional license and started to race the domestic non-drafting Olympic circuit. I found success on the swim and bike but my run was a weakness. After a solid rookie year, I started 2008 strong with a 2nd place finish at the Columbia, MD Triathlon ahead of World Champion Chris McCormack. For the first time, I realized that I had the potential to reach the top of the sport. I dedicated myself completely to triathlon and by the time August rolled around, I had to decide between Penn State University or triathlon. I did not want to be mediocre in both college and racing. If I went to school, then I would devote myself to studying and put a professional triathlon career on hold. But my passion and love for the sport won over and I decided to see how far I could take the sport. Although I was taking the path less traveled, I believed in myself and my goals. I wanted to do something different and make an impact in the triathlon world. With the support of my parents and local sponsors, I began a journey to become the very best in the sport.

2009 Race Results:

RACE	PLACE
Champions Triathlon, Austin, TX	1st
Columbia Triathlon	2nd
Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon	2nd
Miami International Triathlon	4th
Nautica New York City Triathlon	4th

 

www.andrew-yoder.com

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