Melisa Rollins was born to race the Leadville 100; although if you had asked her in highschool if this was true, she would have disagreed. Melisa's parents have been racing the Leadville 100 MTB since she was just a year old, so the race runs deep in her blood. She herself has started the race seven times, and crossed the finish line 7 times, including in 2024 where she won the elite women’s race. Melisa also completed the Lead Challenge in 2018, a series of 5 races in Leadville including both the 100 MTB and 100 Run races. A feat that most of us find hard just to wrap our heads around! Focussing on the bike, Melisa signed with Team Twenty24 in 2021 right after racing the Leadville 100 MTB that year, with a dream that she would one day come back and win the race. Supported by her team, Melisa raced in the Life Time Grand Prix in 2022, but stepped away for the 2023 season to focus on gaining race experience on the road circuit with her team. This has paid off for Melisa in dividends as she has returned to the Grand Prix in 2024. Following her win in Leadville this year, Melisa finished 9th at Chequamegon this past weekend and plans on finishing the season strong with two more events remaining in the Grand Prix.  

Follow Melisa on Instagram @melisa_rollins