27 U.S National Titles, 5-time American Record Holder, 2-Pan American Games Medalist, 2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup Minsk, Belarus - Sprint 4th place
Mandy Marquardt (born August 7, 1991) is an American female Sprint track cyclist, representing the United States and Team Novo Nordisk, the world's first-all diabetes professional cycling team. Marquardt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. Marquardt is an 27-time U.S. National Champion,[1] 4-time U.S. National Record Holder in the Standing 500m Time Trial, Standing 1 km Time Trial, Team Sprint (2-rider) and Team Sprint (3-rider) .[2]
She defended her title in the Time Trial[3] and won the gold in the Keirin[4] at the 2023 United States National Track Championships held at VELO Sports Center. Marquardt has won the gold in the 500m Time Trial for the last seven years, starting in 2016. (The 2020 U.S. Track Nationals were canceled due to the pandemic.)
Marquardt is married to 10-time National Champion Jamie Alvord. The pair met in 2010 when they both raced at the velodrome near Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. Marquardt and Alvord represented the United States at the Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Lima, Peru.[8]
Marquardt was named to the 2020 Olympic Long Team for track cycling by USA Cycling.[9]
Early life
Born in Mannheim, Germany, in August 1991, Mandy Marquardt moved with her mother and father to Plantation, Florida, when she was six years old.[10] After playing tennis, swimming and showing an interest in triathlons, she began cycling on the track at the age of 10 at the Velodrome at the Brian Piccolo Park.[11] A year later, she won her first two gold medals at the 2003 U.S. Junior Women's 10-12 Road National Championships in Texas.[11]
Marquardt continued to race both the road and track discipline for years. At the age of 15, she moved to Germany to live with her father and to race on the European circuit.[12] One year later, she won a bronze medal in the 500m time trial at the German Junior National Championships.[13]
At the end of year testing in Germany, Marquardt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. A doctor told her that she would never be able to compete at a high level at her sport again.[14] After working with and learning from experts to manage her diabetes, she once again won the bronze medal in the 500m Time Trial at the German Junior National Championships.[12]
After moving back to Florida, Marquardt joined Team Novo Nordisk in 2010.[10] That same year, she enrolled at Penn State Lehigh Valley, where she eventually became a Campus Cycling Club coach and graduated with a degree in Business Management and Marketing.[15]
