The Marine Corps Marathon is extra special for Andi because her father ran the race in 1998. She says “The opportunity to run the MCM is particularly special for me because my father ran it in 1998. The fact that my first marathon will be one that he also ran motivates me to get out the door on those rainy, humid, hot, miserable days.”
Andi started running a little over a year ago when she realized that sitting in a classroom all day (she is currently working on a PhD in Geology at Indiana University) left her with a lot of excess energy. She says it became the perfect escape and good alone time after long days in class and in the lab.
Her first race was the Marine Corps Historic Half in 2013. Only 10 days before the race she discovered she has a stress fracture on her Fibula. Luckily her doctor was a fellow runner who supplied her with an air cast and let her run the race. She said the race was more than worth it, the uniformed Marines on the course were inspiring and she made a lot of new running friends as well. That race got her hooked on running and she has finished 3 more Half Marathons since.
Andi was born in Pine Barrens, NJ and currently lives in Bloomington, IN where she is working on her PhD. Currently her research focuses on analyzing different pigment molecules produced in bacterial mats that form at the bottom of arctic lakes. This research can be used to track the responses of lake systems to changes in nutrients or climate. Basically in addition to being an awesome athlete Andi is one very smart lady. She also has two cats and in 2010 climbed to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro with her brother. She loves hiking and kayaking through Indiana and getting to know her new home.
We are so excited to have Andi as a part of Team TLT4C! Thank you for all of your hard work!