Tanderup's career as a handball player commenced when joining Brabrand IF's youth team.

[4] In 1997 she managed to reach the Champions League finals with Viborg HK, but the team lost to Mar Valencia.

Eventually, 25 years of age, her handball career came to an abrupt end at the 1997 World Championship, when she suffered a fatal knee injury causing chronic pain ever since.

[6][7] After several years out of public view, she started studying nutrition in 2008[8] and works as a nutritionist now.

[9] She is married to former professional Danish road bicycle racer and Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis whom she met at the 1996 Summer Olympics.