We are excited to announce that Olympian Mellisa Hollingsworth will be speaking at MuniSight’s user conference! Mellisa is a decorated Skeleton athlete that has harnessed an innovative spirit to bring her through both success and disappointment.
Mellisa Hollingsworth was raised in Eckville, a small Albertan community that shaped who she is today; a decorated Skeleton athlete with rural roots that run deep. Mellisa’s story is an incredible journey in athletics, and we are proud to have her join us at the 2019 Municipal Innovation Forum.
More about Mellisa:
Mellisa Hollingsworth considered quitting the sport of skeleton when she wasn’t named to the 2002 Canadian Olympic Team. Thankfully, for her, and Canada, she didn’t.
Mellisa’s World Cup season leading up to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games redefined the term “hot streak”. After lengthy discussions with her coach during the off-season, and mapping out a new competitive strategy, Mellisa, from Eckville, Alberta, kicked off the pivotal season by winning her first World Cup in 10 years of racing, and became the first athlete in the history of the sport to never finish out of the top three for the rest of the year. Mellisa won the Overall World Cup title in 2006 and slid to a historic bronze-medal finish in Torino at the Olympic Winter Games – becoming the first Canadian to win a medal in Skeleton.
With a mission of winning Olympic gold, Mellisa was on-pace to achieve her goals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. With the nation watching, Mellisa headed into those Games ranked number-one in the world with her second Overall World Cup title. Sitting in second spot heading into the final run, Mellisa pushed a personal best start time her final trip down the track but made a costly error while taking a risk to accomplish her mission. Mellisa finished a heart-breaking fifth.
Gutsy, courageous and determined, Mellisa earned a spot at her 3rd Olympics in 2014 Sochi, Russia. The weather was not on her side on Day 1, but in her final competitive run she tied for 2nd with fellow Canadian Sarah Reid & retired as the Winningest Female in the World in the sport of Skeleton.
Mellisa grew up as a country girl on a ranch. Raised around horses on the family ranch, rodeo was a tradition richly ingrained in this naturally gifted Alberta rancher. When Mellisa was not pursuing excellence in a multitude of sports, she was often and still can be found riding horses or competing in barrel racing. Currently, Mellisa is a Realtor at the Dusty Smith Team, Royal LePage Network Realty, Broadcaster for CBC during Calgary Stampede & most recently was a competitor on “The Amazing Race Canada” – Heroes Edition.
To register for MIF2019, visit www.munisight.com/mif.
