POCATELLO — Cold wind and rain made Saturday a challenging one for a fun run, but Andrea Hatch, of Pocatello, is used to challenges. With a mangled knee she shuffled across the finish line of a 5K run designed to both raise funds for her numerous surgeries and bolster awareness of motorcycle traffic safety.

    It was an abbreviated run for the woman who nearly lost her leg nine months ago.

    “I don’t have any range of motion in my knee,” Hatch explained. “Not being able to run is the most frustrating part.”

    Largely to bolster enthusiasm among the 40 participants in Saturday’s fun run, Hatch did a short, fast walk through the finish line of the event and was greeted with hugs and words of encouragement. Earlier in the day her youngest brother, Colby, had earned high praise for trying to win the fun run. He finished second about 20 seconds behind first place finisher, Steven Lloyd.

    The top two finishers shook hands and patted each other on the back. Lloyd knew what was driving Colby — pride in his sister.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Colby said about Andrea’s recovery. “I think she’s pretty tough.”

    With her easy smile and infectious laugh, it’s hard to imagine that Andrea was sprawled out on the pavement near the exit to Walmart on Yellowstone Avenue last July 2. Her helmet was dented and badly scratched and her leg was torn apart after the motorcycle she was driving collided with a car pulling out of McDonald’s.

    “I don’t remember a lot about it,” Andrea confesses. “I was going to work and stopped at the Common Cents to fill up my tank. Then I headed out onto Yellowstone.”

    Andrea’s next memory was lying on the asphalt in pain. People were standing around and someone was asking if she had family they could contact.

    “I gave them my brother Tyson’s phone number,” she recalled. “That day is kind of a blur.”

    Andrea was rushed by ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center where she worked in the cardiology department as a medical assistant. In emergency surgery, they repaired her ankle and broken femur. The badly injured motorcycle rider was then taken to University of Utah Hospital where she would undergo three more surgeries to repair the extensive damage. She would also face a fight with infection that nearly cost her that right leg.

    It didn’t and Andrea is now on the mend. It’s a slow and painful process with physical therapy sessions twice a week and daily exercises. An athlete since she was young, the 32-year-old wants to resume an active lifestyle.

    Andrea played basketball and volleyball at North Gem High School and was active in the Pocatello fun run series held each year. She participated in the Pocatello marathon and said she loved running. Whether she will ever run again is yet to be seen. However, Andrea has a more immediate goal.

    “Right now my goal is to bend the knee enough to ride a bicycle,” Andrea said. “I’d like to be as active as I once was.”

    Andrea returned to her job at PMC in January and it was her aunt, Jody Merritt, who came up with the idea of a fun run to raise money for the tremendous medical expenses and give Andrea an opportunity to raise awareness in motorists when it comes to motorcycle safety.

    Andrea pointed at her dented and scratched helmet and was blunt.

    “It’s the only reason I’m still alive,” she said.

    The crash survivor is now a vocal advocate for wearing safety gear whether you’re riding a bicycle or a motorcycle. And she advises riders to wear the brightest colors possible.

    “I know you’re not very visible,” Andrea said.

    Hatch also has a word to the wise for those who drive cars or trucks — “Watch out.”

    As a motorcycle rider she said she always watched for traffic coming out of driveways and making lane changes and tried to make eye contact with those drivers. Something went wrong last July and in an instant her life was changed.

    And although she is a bit slower on the move, her enthusiasm for life was obviously not dampened by the accident or the cold, harsh weather that visited Pocatello Saturday morning.

    “We had waited for what we thought would be warmer weather,” Andrea’s mother, July Hatch said.

    “This is great,” Andrea replied as she gave a volunteer a hug.

Editor’s note

“Inspirational Idaho” is the Journal’s series about what’s right with our communities. Every Sunday we will feature an inspiring local person or group, focusing on how they’ve made a positive difference in the lives of others. If you have someone or a specific group you would like to see featured, contact Journal Assignment Editor Tammy Scardino at 208-239-3134 or tscardino@journalnet.com.