Staff Spotlight: Andrea Bullard
March 11th, 2025
Andrea has been with us since the very beginning. If you’re familiar with the Rebelle, you’re undoubtedly familiar with Andrea. From our beginnings with just 36 teams in Year One to consistently selling out and having a waitlist, Andrea has played a pivotal role in our journey. Her warmth, humor, endless dedication, and genuine ability to connect with every competitor have made her the cornerstone of our community. She’s not only a vital member of our team but also a trusted friend, mentor, and indispensable problem solver. As we celebrate Year 10, we spoke with Andrea about her journey, her impact on the Rebelle Rally, how she balances it all, and what continues to drive her passion year after year.
Year 10. The Rebelle has grown from 36 teams in its first year to a sold-out event with a waitlist for four consecutive years. What’s it been like being a part of that growth?
Rewarding. A journey, much like a ten-year rally of its own. The inaugural Rebelle in 2016 was our prologue, though it was certainly scored for points. Our Day 3 was definitely 2020, but we pushed on and thrived! And while Year 10 is hardly the end of the Rebelle, coming up on our decade anniversary sure feels like we’re crossing a finish line!
You’ve been with the Rebelle since Day One. What keeps you coming back year after year?
Connection. Connection with the incredible competitors that embrace this challenge each year, whose adventurous spirits and contagious smiles make all of the hard work worth it. Connection with the phenomenal staff that I have the honor of working side by side with through it all, and connection with the earth—the beautiful deserts, forests, waterways, and wildlife that allow us to revel in their wonder and to whom we owe our respect.
As the Competitor Liaison, you wear many hats. What does your role look like leading up to and during the rally?
My primary role leading up to the rally is competitor communications from start to finish. My “rally year” begins two days before the competition’s end when registration opens for the following year’s Rebelle. I begin the process of resetting the platform for next year’s competitors—processing registration forms, creating accounts, answering questions, and setting up rosters. As spring approaches, Rebelle U comes into focus as we prepare to train our newest class of Rebelles. I get to meet a lot of our new teams and reconnect with familiar faces. When summer rolls around, it’s comms time, and it starts to feel like it is almost rally season again! We begin our official competitor communications announcing the start/finish locations, Tech Inspection details, and exciting news/changes for the upcoming rally. Come September, I am inundated with merchandise and you’ll find me at the print shop, hand-pressing the team numbers on every single vest—with love! The rally itself always feels like a sweet reward for a hard year’s work. I ditch the keyboard and am on my feet, running from place to place (literally) to fulfill a wide array of needs. My favorite spot is at the start line each morning, checking in with each team as they set out for a new day. Midday course running with Jimmy Lewis to survey checkpoints is the icing on my rally cake. I get to “passenger princess” for a bit and enjoy the scenery, as Jimmy is one of the few people allowed to drive my truck—haha! My final role is fulfilled during Rebellation, our gala, checking in competitors and their guests. I get to meet the extraordinary people in our competitors’ lives who have supported their journey.
You work with first-time competitors and seasoned veterans alike. What’s one piece of advice you always give new Rebelles?
Embrace the anxiety! The most common “negative” emotion expressed by Rookie Rebelles is nerves—feeling anxious, afraid, unsure. Every Rebelle has been a Rookie at some point and has experienced this, and it can often lead them to question whether or not to push forward. My advice is this: Anxiety and excitement share the same physiological response: rapid heart rate, racing thoughts, increased blood pressure, restlessness. It is powerful, and that power is within your control to direct. Every “negative” emotion has a positive intention for you. The key to transforming anxiety into excitement is knowledge. Anxiety is there to motivate you to learn, to train, to prepare—to absorb all you can before the 11th hour comes, and get excited! Use it to your advantage.
You juggle the Rebelle, motherhood, running a business, and your own off-road adventures. What’s your secret?
(1) Coffee! (2) A chaotic yet well-organized calendar that prioritizes fun and work equally. (3) The support of those around me who have enabled me to live this crazy life: My father, Wilson, taught me everything I needed to know to remain grounded no matter how hard life pulls at my roots. My mother, Marcia, is my backbone and rock—not to mention the best grandma on the planet. My husband, Gordon, is my partner in crime, standing side by side with me through it all. Other friends and family who would drop everything if I needed them. And our girls—well, they’re just along for the ride with their own amazing dreams and aspirations, and they are the heartbeat of my motivation to do it all.
What’s one of the most rewarding moments you’ve experienced as Competitor Liaison?
The most rewarding moment for me each year is watching the competitors cross the finish line. The emotions are raw. They’re exhausted, probably hungry, and ready to be done. But you can see in their eyes the realization that they have made it. As each team approaches, I can visualize the entirety of their journey. The doubts they had in the beginning, the speed bumps they hit on their way to the start line, and the challenges they faced during the rally itself. Everything has led up to this moment—and here it is! It is profound and deeply moving, for everyone.
Three things you never leave for the Rebelle without?
(1) Trader Joe’s white cheddar popcorn, because even staff have their favorite snacks. (2) My trusty hand irons for Base Camp because, let’s be real, who has time to attach sponsor patches the night before Tech? (3) Uncontainable excitement.
Any final words for this year’s competitors?
Congratulations—before we even begin! The road to the start line can be long, tiring, and seemingly endless. But like most things in life, there are no shortcuts to any place worth going. The rally will often feel the same—long days, hard work, moments of doubt. But when you cross the start line for the first time, you will feel a profound shift as you leave everyday life behind. From there, as Emily would say, stay fixated on your true north, build your roadmap, and drive on. You’ve got this!
