Melanie Comer is this years All Sports Association Special Olympian. Melanie is a true athlete. She loves any sport. She learned to swim when she was 3; she was snow skiing at 5, knee boarding at 7 and water skiing by age 11.

In 1989 Melanie won her first trophy. Her team, Bears a Taste in the Pony Tail League, in Niceville, FL came in Second place in the city wide soft ball competition.

From playing in local team sports, Melanie next moved into Special Olympics. In 1989, 1990 and 1991, Melanie won fourth place each year, in singles Special Olympics Bowling in Okaloosa County.

In 1993 Melanie participated in Fayetteville, North Carolinas’ State Special Olympics in Gymnastics. She performed in the Floor Routine, Balance Beam and Vault. She won the Gold Medal for her Floor Routine and a Silver Medal for the Beam.

From 1993-1995 in North Carolina’s Special Olympics, Melanie won Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals in the English Equestrian for the Carolina Mid. East Horseman Assoc.

Since then, Melanie has continued her participation in Special Olympics in Colorado and now back in Florida. She has placed in Bowling, Basketball, Bocce ball and last February in the East Region of Special Olympics Snow Skiing. It was her first year to compete in Snow Skiing. She skied the Advanced Slope, against veteran competitors. She was the only girl in her group, and Melanie won the fourth place ribbon.

Considering that when Melanie was born she required surgery and leg casts for most of her first year or she would never have been able to walk you can understand what an inspiration she is to everyone who knows her. In total Melanie has won 4 Gold, 6 Silver and 9 Bronze Medals in all of her Special Olympic competitions, in three different states.

Special Olympics allow Melanie and others like her to participate and compete. Melanie loves it. Melanie is the daughter of Richard and Stephanie Comer.