Melissa became a runner 11 years ago, after a trip to Disneyland and being inspired by seeing all the runners celebrating their finish of the Disneyland Half Marathon at the parks. She signed up for a Disneyland 5k in 2009, and then followed up with her first half Marathon in 2010.

Since her first 5k, she has completed several Marathons, and has dove into the world of triathlon. She enjoys running and triathlon because she likes to challenge herself and see what mentally and physically she can overcome.

She uses running and activity as a way to decompress after work and help clear her mind. In her opinion, there is nothing better than a sunset run after a long day at work.