Sport: Paracycling (C4)
Team: USA National Paracycling Team
Hometown/Training Base: Northern California Bay Area
BEST Coach: Joe Strandell
Andrea Cherniak-Tyson lives and trains in the wildly diverse terrain of Northern California’s Bay Area—where mountains, coastal roads, and windy flatlands are all just a ride away. But while the landscape may shape her training, it’s her journey that defines her.
Andrea began as a recreationally competitive runner, but her life was irrevocably altered after a catastrophic car accident that shattered nearly every bone in her body and severed her foot. Though doctors managed to reattach it, she was told she’d never run again. Instead of accepting defeat, Andrea found a new kind of freedom on two wheels. Mountain biking in Utah became her refuge—“While I walked with a cane, I could fly on a bike.”
Years, states, careers, and children later, a move to California reconnected her with cycling. A fateful conversation with a fellow juror during a murder trial introduced her to the world of road racing. Andrea jumped in, eventually rising through the ranks in the competitive NCNCA circuit. Still, something wasn’t right—constant pain, chronic compensation, and endless bike fits. It wasn’t until she shared her full medical history with her fitter that everything shifted. “You do know you’re a para-athlete, right?” he said. That moment, just a year ago, launched Andrea’s journey into paracycling—and into a whole new level of purpose.
Why She Rides
For Andrea, cycling is the ultimate full-spectrum sport—physical, mental, mechanical, and emotional. “It fulfills everything,” she says. Time trials demand relentless self-mastery, while crits and road races call for situational awareness, tactical thinking, and team synergy. Whether it’s optimizing equipment or accessing the next level of mental toughness, she thrives on the challenge. “Bike racing is at once super challenging and incredibly empowering.”
Goals & Aspirations
Andrea’s sights are set high: she’s training to podium at the 2025 Paracycling World Championships and to earn a place at the LA28 Paralympics. At over 50 years old, she’s racing against athletes decades younger—but age hasn’t slowed her down; if anything, it’s fueled her fire.
After making the Paris 2024 Paralympics shortlist, and wearing the stars and stripes at the 2024 Team USA Para-Cycling World Championships—where she finished 4th in both the time trial and road race—Andrea claimed silver and bronze medals at the 2025 World Cups, securing her place on the USA National Team and paving the way to Worlds.
Proudest Moment
While Andrea’s race results are headline-worthy, it’s her inner resilience that brings her the most pride. “Even when others didn’t believe in me—when culture said my old, fat, broken body should just hang it up—I trusted the quiet voice inside that said otherwise.” She hopes that fierce belief, and everything it has made possible, inspires her three sons to be just as audacious in chasing their own dreams.
Beyond the Bike
Outside of racing, Andrea loves soaking up live music of all genres with her boyfriend, diving into mysteries on page and screen, and cherishing time with her sons and their playful mini-poodle, Zuzu.