Coach Mel started her fitness journey at 17 years old when she decided she wanted to become a firefighter. She took up running, hiking and lifting weights in order condition her body to do the job.She became a reserve firefighter for USFS and Riverside County which turned into a seasonal position with CalFire.

Not long after, she met a fireman that swept her off her feet. She took a job in dispatch, married her fireman, and a few years later became a SAHM of two beautiful daughters and now a grandbaby!

Fitness and nutrition have always been priorities in her life. She became a certified personal trainer in 2002 at Bally’s. She started teaching cycle and strength classes at the local gyms. She expanded her knowledge to yoga in 2019.

She loves working with people one on one and group settings to help them reach their goals.

She joined DEFAULT in 2020, wanting to learn something new. She fell in love with the strength gains especially after lifting in a bodybuilding format for years. The functional movements make more sense for longevity. Now, her daughter Cayla has joined the Default family and pursuing her own career in the fire department.

Coach Mel is excited to share what she has learned from the awesome coaches at the box, and to continue to learn and get stronger together.