When you first meet Mandy Marquardt, you immediately notice her focus and determination. The Penn State sophomore started cycling when she was 10 years old - six months later, she was racing in Nationals. Born in Germany, raced in Germany, placing 3rd in the German National Race at 15.

Marquardt found out she had type 1 diabetes when she was 16. Marquardt determined the diagnosis wouldn't stop her. “It was hard to keep up with the athletics the first year [after the diagnosis]. I became much more health conscious because of it.”

She placed in the German Nationals again the summer after her diagnosis.

Marquardt currently lives on her own, balancing school and training. She trains year-round, which takes six-12 hours of her week. “I would rather ride my bike than go out partying until 4am. You have to look ahead.” She races at the Velodrome in the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown.

In 2009, Marquardt joined the Team Type 1 racing team, a team of diabetic racers from across Pennsylvania. This past fall, team founder Phil Southerland took them to Rwanda.

As they rode through towns, Rwandans cheered the team on. “I never saw so many happy people," said Marquardt. “After we raced, we would go to clinics and speak.” Marquardt says the people in Rwanda would rather have AIDS than diabetes because there are so few supplies for them. “They can only check their levels once a month.” The team brought supplies for diabetics in Rwanda.

Marquardt plans to continue racing around the world. Although Marquardt enjoys racing for the team, she doesn’t want diabetes to define who she is and plans to help people in other ways throughout her life. Most of all, Marquardt wants to teach children that they can fulfill their dreams no matter what obstacles they come across.