At approximately 4:20pm on Monday May 11, former pro cyclist and current pro duathlete Andrea Ratkovic was struck by a truck while on a training ride. The man who hit Andrea is said to have been travelling 50 miles per hour, and claims he did not see her. The impact caused Andrea to have 16 different fractures in her body, including parts of her spine, her clavicles, her left scapula, ribs, left fibula, and 4 breaks in her left tibia.

After arriving in the Emergency Room, Andrea had surgery on her left Tibia almost immediately following initial tests and scans, and was then admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for observation. By mid-day on Tuesday she was transferred to the orthopedic ward of the Norman Regional Hospital to begin her recovery. The surgeon took over 4 hours to put Andrea's tibia back together, and later said that it was the worst closed fracture he has seen in 10 years. Andrea's has been left with a titanium rod to repair the extensive damage. She has stabilized, but it is not yet known when she will be released from the hospital.

Unfortunately Andrea is no stranger to dealing with adversity. In 2005 she was shot at while cycling, she has had repeated surgeries on her Achilles tendon which nearly ended her running career, and has been attacked by dogs while out riding, ending up with a concussion and staples in her head.

Andrea's significant contribution to the athletic world began with running, becoming a potential Olympian in both running and cycling. She has won several U.S. National Duathlon championships, and placed first in many pro cycling events, as well as elite level road running races. Her biggest accomplishments include placing third in the world at the Long Course Duathlon Championships. Andrea has been most recently been sharing her incredible talents with other athletes through coaching.

Andrea has been battling injuries over the past 3 years, which has stopped her from being able to compete. On Monday she was completing a cycling workout in preparation for the Apple Duathlon in Minnesota at the end of May. Her goal was to qualify for the Duathlon Short Course World Championships in Concord North Carolina in September of this year.