Krysten Anderson

{{short description|American monster truck driver (born 1997)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Krysten Anderson | image = | imagesize =  | caption = | fullname = | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|05|16}} | birth_place = [[Currituck, North Carolina]], U.S. | years_active = 2017–present | spouse = | children = | relatives = 3 brothers (including: [[Adam Anderson (monster truck driver)|Adam]] and [[Ryan Anderson (monster truck driver)|Ryan]]) | parents = [[Dennis Anderson]] (father) | death_date = | death_place = | website = | country = United States | sport = [[Monster Jam]] | team = [[Grave Digger (monster truck)|Grave Digger]] | retired = | world = }}

'''Krysten Anderson''' (born May 16, 1997)<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson">{{cite web|url=https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/drivers/krysten-anderson|title=Monster Jam – Krysten Anderson|work=[[Monster Jam]]|access-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117075700/https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/drivers/krysten-anderson|archive-date=January 17, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> is an American professional [[monster truck]] driver. Anderson currently drives [[Grave Digger (monster truck)|Grave Digger]] on the [[Monster Jam]] circuit and is the first full-time female driver for the team. She is the daughter of Grave Digger creator [[Dennis Anderson]]. She holds the record for the highest ramp jump by a monster truck at 33 ft 9.6 in (10.3 m).

== Early life== Krysten Anderson was born on May 16, 1997, in [[Currituck, North Carolina]].<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/> Anderson has stated that she has been surrounded by monster trucks since she was just a few months old.<ref name="enginebuildermag">{{cite magazine|first=Greg|last=Jones|url=https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2020/08/women-in-motorsports-krysten-anderson/|title=Women in Motorsports: Krysten Anderson|magazine=Engine Builder Magazine|date=August 13, 2020|access-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807031911/https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2020/08/women-in-motorsports-krysten-anderson/|archive-date=August 7, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Career == Anderson first got behind the wheel of a monster truck when she was 18.<ref name="enginebuildermag"/> Prior to [[Monster Jam]], Anderson was planning on going to college for graphic design with the intention of becoming a graphic designer for the Monster Jam trucks.<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/> Anderson joined Monster Jam in 2016<ref name="nbcsports">{{cite web|first=Victoria|last=Beaver|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/motor-sports/news/krysten-anderson-grave-digger|title=All eyes are on Krysten Anderson as she inherits Grave Digger in Monster Jam|work=[[NBC Sports]]|date=March 29, 2021|access-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807031919/https://www.nbcsports.com/motor-sports/news/krysten-anderson-grave-digger|archive-date=August 7, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> and began driving for the Grave Digger Team in 2017,<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/> the same year her father [[Dennis Anderson]] was celebrating his 35th anniversary of driving Grave Digger.<ref name="enginebuildermag"/> Her father retired that same year due to an injury.<ref name="ourquadcities">{{cite web|first=Jonathan|last=Turner|url=https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/female-monster-jam-driver-has-the-beast-in-her-blood/|title=Female Monster Jam driver has the beast in her blood|work=[[KLJB]]|date=April 25, 2023|access-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807031910/https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/female-monster-jam-driver-has-the-beast-in-her-blood/|archive-date=August 7, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Monster Jam contacted her dad to see if she was interested in competing as the first female driver for Grave Digger.<ref name="enginebuildermag"/> She won her first freestyle competition in the second event she competed in.<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/><ref name="ourquadcities"/> Speaking of her first year competing in Monster Jam, Anderson stated, "I had a very rough first year...I was brand new. I was a rookie. I was driving Grave Digger, which is basically the most iconic truck in monster truck history or Monster Jam history. I had the pressure of being an Anderson and my dad and my brothers had always brought the show home all the time. They were always some of the top competitors. I was like, 'Man, I’ve got to be good because I’m an Anderson. I've got to be good because I’m driving Grave Digger and everybody wants Grave Digger to do good. I'm also out here representing all of the girls."<ref name="enginebuildermag"/>

On June 25, 2020, Anderson broke the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]] for the highest ramp jump by a monster truck at 33 ft 9.6 in (10.3 m) in [[Bradenton, Florida]].<ref name="Guinness World Records">{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/76319-highest-ramp-jump-monster-truck|title=Highest ramp jump – monster truck|work=[[Guinness World Records]]|date=June 25, 2020|access-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807033411/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/76319-highest-ramp-jump-monster-truck|archive-date=August 7, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Guinness World Records2">{{cite web|url=https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/records|title=Monster Jam Breaks 8 Guinness World Records Titles|work=[[Monster Jam]]|access-date=February 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517071853/https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/records|archive-date=May 17, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> The previous record was 21.33ft/6.5m.<ref name="Guinness World Records2"/> Anderson became the first female Monster Jam series champion when she won the Arena Series Central championship in 2022.<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/><ref name="ourquadcities"/> She won the Rising Star Award in 2022.<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/><ref name="ourquadcities"/> [[File:Grave Digger XLI World Finals 2024.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Grave Digger XLI truck, driven by Krysten Anderson 2024]]

In an online bio, Anderson stated, "Monster Jam is all I know. I was born into the sport through my dad...During the peak of his career was the early stage of my life, and one of the coolest things was my dad being the Grave Digger creator."<ref name="ourquadcities"/>

== Awards ==

* 2021: Save of the Year * 2022: Arena Series Central Champion * 2022: Rising Star of the Year<ref name="Monster Jam - Krysten Anderson"/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[https://www.monsterjam.com/en-US/drivers/krysten-anderson Monster Jam – Krysten Anderson]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Krysten}} [[Category:Monster truck drivers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1997 births]] [[Category:People from Currituck County, North Carolina]] [[Category:Sportspeople from North Carolina]] [[Category:American truck drivers]] [[Category:Anderson family (motorsport)|Krysten]]