Andrea Vasquez
RIDER / Torito

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Yearly Milage: 7,000-10,000
Age: 30
Height: 5’ 2"
Strengths: climbing, endurance
Weaknesses:coconut cake, bounty chocolate, waking up early to swim
Favorite SOMEthing: Fridays, a hard hilly ride with friends, long runs, and dancing

Andrea’s mantra is "The sky’s the limit!" and she certainly embodies her credo. Always looking for the next challenge, this compact Colombian dynamo is a natural endurance athlete. She took up running back in 2002 when her boss convinced her to go for a 4 mile run. The next day she ran 6 miles, the next week she ran 10 miles, and soon she raced a half marathon. Within two months she signed up for a 200-mile race across New Hampshire (Reach the Beach relay) with a 12-person team. In 2005, she upped the ante and decided to do an Ironman without even knowing how to swim. Andrea survived a very choppy ocean swim in Brazil, a windy bike ride and a hilly run to finish her first Ironman and was instantly hooked. Six Ironman races and multiple marathons later, she is still on the hunt for the next big thing.

On the bike, she is known as “Torito” because she races up any hill like a "little bull" and loves keeping up with the guys. Born and raised at high altitude, she credits some of her success to Colombia’s strong tradition of cycling domination. But her real secret is not her Colombian blood or her custom Serotta named "Torito Colombiano," but her steely determination to train hard and win races. Look out RAAM: Andrea “Torito” Vasquez is on the hunt for another win.

Rides & Races
+ Ironman Brazil (2005)
+ Ironman Canada (2005, 2007)
+ Ironman New Zealand (2006)
+ Ironman Lake Placid (2006)
+ Quelle Challenge Roth, Germany (2007) 11:04 PR
+ 6 Ironman 70.3 races: 5:14 PR
+ Vuelta de los Nueve Faros (2008):  A 3-day, 385 mile ride circumnavigating Puerto Rico
+ Multiple 100+mile rides
+ 200 mile Relay Run: Reach the Beach (2002, 2003, 2004)
+ 7 Marathons including Boston and Chicago (2006) 3:15h PR

Meet the team that's making it happen:
Riders

Crew & Support

It takes a whole team to race in the most grueling race in the world. We are in the four person team category, which means we ride as a relay from start to finish. And the riders depend on an entire support crew - about 3 crew members for each rider during the race. And leading up to the event there are even more people involved with logistics, promotions, coaching, training events, health, nutrition and morale support just to name a few. Our team is a great combination of personalities and talents.

Check out what they have to say in the blog.