One bad decision was all it took to knock Outlast‘s Andrea Hilderbrand out of the competition. The super fit engineer’s thirst got the better of her and she sipped on some standing water without boiling it. Next thing she knew, she was vomiting constantly and became the first person to send off her flare. Her teammates, former Marine Seth Lueker and EMT Angie Lukai were sad to see her leave. However, hardcore wrestling coach Nick Radner was less sympathetic. His biting criticism of her as a quitter was a warning of the sort of take-no-prisoners mentality that we would see throughout the season.
The 51-year old Andrea would have thrived in any other competition. The fiercely competitive North Carolina native is an avid CrossFitter and has ranked in the top 20 in the world for her age category in 2017. If you doubt how tough CrossFitters can be, check out our profile on Woo Jin-Wong, who outlasted 99 other competitors to win Physical 100. Andrea’s main strength is absolutely her endurance. It has served her well in cycling competitions, travelling through China, or struggling with hereditary hemochromatosis. This condition required her to have pints of blood drained to remove excess iron in her body. It could have killed her, and it did end her racing career temporarily and left her with depression. The tattoo on her right wrist is a reminder of going through and coming out of that dark place. What else do we know about this extraordinarily tough woman?
Outlast‘s Andrea Hilderbrand: Broadcasting/Engineering Job, Education, Other Shows
According to this 2012 article, Andrea has experience working at ESPN, managing the broadcast for NASCAR. She’s also obtained her pilot’s license and has spent a summer teaching homeless children math in Jamaica. Math is her strong suit educationally, and she has a Bachelor’s in applied mathematics from North Carolina’s Pfeifer University. She also has two master’s degrees in industrial engineering and industrial management. She’s worked in a number of management positions for aerospace company Pratt and Whitney, related to jet engine sales and construction. Currently, she is with Siemens, working in Project Management.
Andrea reportedly has a room full of trophies from BMX racing and has climbed Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Kilimanjaro. She also starred on an early reality show, Worst Case Scenario on TBS in 2001, where she developed a passion for rock and mountain climbing. Later in the 2000’s, she participated in an Outdoor Life Network competition in rural Utah. For three days she braved the cold, walked through mountains and swam across rivers.
Outlast‘s Andrea Hilderbrand: Pinterest, Dukes of Hazzard and Kung Fu Fandom, Romantic Partner
Andrea may be a decorated athlete, but she doesn’t seem to be that much of a fan of putting her life online. Andrea’s IG is privated, and has very few followers,- only 916. However, Andrea’s Pinterest is a bit more of a window into what she does for fun. She’s devoted to the Dukes of Hazzard fandom and is very close to many of the actors on the show. She always attends the DukeFest convention for fans each year and she is credited with many photos from the event. One of her trips to China was part of a documentary for the History Channel alongside legendary Kung Fu and Kill Bill actor David Carradine.
Andrea dated cameraman and documentarian Jeff Alred for many years, but they seem to have split up now. Her current partner is Phillip Rudisill, and they have gone on at least one hiking expedition together. There’s no doubt that Andrea will continue to challenge herself and pursue her love of the outdoors
