Andrea Wilson

Andrea is a contributing writer for GearJunkie. She is a lifelong hunter and has been writing about outdoor sports for more than 17 years. Prior to and during that time, Andrea has been a college teacher in the Health and Sport Science Department at the University of Memphis, a professional road and mountain bike racer, and a bike mechanic at shops in Tennessee and Colorado. She has worked on local farms and gardens, as well as hosted and produced podcasts for her company Just Riding Along Outdoor Media. As someone who scouts all summer and hunts most of the fall and winter, she’s become obsessed with finding the most reliable gear to support her adventures. Living at the edge of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in Colorado, Andrea spends most days outdoors either hunting, scouting, exploring, or working.

Title: Contributor, Freelance Writer
Location: Howard, CO
Social Media: Instagram LinkedIn

Expertise

• Topics of Expertise: Hunting (archery, rifle, shotgun), arrow building, game processing, bike repair, mountain biking, camping, hiking, podcasting, high-elevation gardening, chicken husbandry
• Years in This Expertise: 20+
• Number of Products & Number of Hours Expert Has Tested: Countless

Education & Certifications

• Education: Masters in Health and Sport Science, University of Memphis
• Years of Writing: 15+
• Club or Association Memberships: Backcountry Hunters and Anglers,
  RMEF
• Awards or Recognitions: Certified BAMF

Why Andrea Chose This Career

As someone who spends more days out of the year outdoors than indoors, gear testing and freelance writing are a perfect fit for my lifestyle.

When I graduated with a Masters in Health and Sport Science from the University of Memphis in 2006, I was offered a job as a teacher in my department. During that time, my love of cycling took me down the path of professional athlete. In 2010, I quit my teaching job and took up a part-time job as a bike mechanic in order to devote more time outside of work to training. I worked as a bike mechanic at various shops in Tennessee and Colorado until 2020, when I quit for health reasons and began more outdoor-based work, including working in a small-scale raw dairy farm, gardening, and groundskeeping.

Hunting has bookended my life. I started hunting with my dad as soon as I was old enough to hold a shotgun (an old Winchester model 12 20 gauge that’s still in rotation). It took a pause during my early adult years as I transitioned through various interests, eventually taking up cycling and working my way up to the professional cycling ranks.

I moved from Tennessee to Colorado in 2015 to get closer to multiday and 100+ mile endurance events. In my new home state, I rekindled my love of hunting as a cycling off-season activity. Over the next few years, my body let me know that it was finished with long hours of riding bikes, and I dove deeper into hunting to fulfill my need to explore and connect with nature. I now employ my residual endurance and mental toughness to chase big days in the backcountry.

Andrea’s personal interests include hunting, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, mixed martial arts, and homesteading.