Getting to know... Melissa Lotholz

"It is an honor to represent Canada on the World Stage. As a Canadian athlete I have the privilege to not only represent my country, but also inspire Canadians by simply being me, challenging myself and going for it! "

Melissa discovered bobsleigh after following in her track and field partner Christine de Bruin's footsteps.  Melissa attended the BCS push testing recruitment camps and made an immediately impact. Based on her testing numbers made the Canadian national team. In Melissa's first season, she was partnered with Humphries and pushed the Canadian sled to numerous podium finishes in her rookie season.

Melissa has since had an incredible career pushing some of Canada best female pilots to the podium time and time again. A pivotal moment in her career came when she reunited with her Track and Field partner Christine De Bruin for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games.

Melissa recalls one of her favourite sporting memories "being on the finish dock with a surprise birthday cake to celebrate teammates, Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski winning bronze at the home World Champs in Whistler on Christine's birthday. A special moment by the Canadian team that was a lot of fun!"

After spending her early career in the back of the sled Melissa decided it was her time to take to the driver’s seat. She transitioned into the pilot seat for women’s bobsleigh and the new women's Monobob in 2018-19, and now has her eyes set on the pilot seat for the 2022 Olympic Games. Melissa is enjoying finding workouts that challenge her body and finding different ways to achieve her goals.

Looking back on her extensive sliding history, Melissa realizes how she may have always been drawn to sliding: "we traveled to Europe to meet my dad's side of the family and spent a day in Konigssee and we spent the day swimming in the lake at the bottom of the track! We didn't even realize that there was a bobsleigh track there. In my rookie season when the World Cup tour stopped in Konigssee, it looked strangely familiar and all of a sudden, I realized why! On that trip we also drove through St. Mortiz."

What is a random fact about you? 

Following the 2018 Olympics I went down to Thailand and completed my PADI open water (scuba) diver certification. 

If you could have a super power what would it be? 

Time travel! 

If you could tell your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

The most important things in life are rarely urgent. Unless you are intentional with your time and energy, you will miss what is most important running from urgent matter to the next.