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Hi everyone!! :-)

My name is Melissa Hoar and I am currently in training for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in the event of skeleton!!

I live in California, USA, and I come from Australia, so the most common question I am ever asked is "how on earth did you get into skeleton?!" (The second most common is "are you mad??")

I started skeleton at the end of 2004, after just finishing competing at the Surf Life Saving World Championships in Italy where I won the Beach Flags event. It was an extreme change of scenery to say the least!!

To begin with, the Australian Institute of Sport did a talent search looking for fast (sprinters), fearless women and who weren't afraid of a few bruises! No really, that's honestly what they said!

One of my friends showed me the flyer for it and at first I wasn't interested- it sounded way too dangerous! Then when another friend from a completely different circle of friends showed me the same flyer and told me I should try it, I decided, why not!

From there the story unfolded to the point it is at right now - with more than a few bruises!!

I have been competing since 2004 and I am the only Australian to have won the Junior World Championships in Skeleton. That happened in my second official season of competition. From there things took a slight downward spiral with a lot of injuries, surgery, and intermittent time off.

Thankfully, I was able to rehabilitate from a major hamstring injury in time for the 2010 Olympic season, and was named as Australia 1 for the Women's Olympic Skeleton team at the Vancouver Olympics. I had never slid on the track prior to the Olympics as I had spent the previous season injured, so coming in to the event I was a huge ball of nerves!! But sliding this track was the most amazing feeling. It is so fast, so smooth, and such high pressure, it takes all of ones concentration every single time you slide it.

The Vancouver Olympics were an amazing event and the pinnacle of my sporting career. Walking into the opening ceremonies was the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring, life time moments that I will never forget.

Meeting the other Olympians, being in the Olympic village, representing and racing for my country really made all of the blood, sweat, tears, and bruises worthwhile! I cannot express the feeling in words of standing at the top of the track about to race in the Olympic Games. When as a kid I dreamed of being an Olympian.

Since then, my life has taken a slightly new path and I am currently living in California and doing post-graduate study to become a Dr of Chiropractic through the FICS World Olympians Scholarship program at Palmer College of Chiropractic West. However, I have still been competing and training and am geared up for the next Olympics, just around the corner. I am super excited to hit the track and gym every day to train with such an exciting goal in front of me.

I hope everyone can show their support for the Australian Olympic team to Sochi and cheer us on- every cheer counts!!

More updates about training to come! For now, keep healthy and happy everyone and thanks for checking out my blog! :-)
Melissa