Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
There are few young adults with the level of success established over a wide variety of eclectic activities as Megan Melgaard;
Her experiences as an athlete have allowed her to teach and motivate others to achieve their athletic goals, but also grew within her a need to always seek new goals and enforce a high standard of safety when it comes to the open water.
She did the Race Across America, cycling from one ocean to another. She not only won the Georgia State Cyclocross Championships, but she also finished third overall at the Swim Around Key West in Florida and set the swim course record for the XTerra World Championships in Maui.
For over 15 years, she has successfully trained amateur, world-class and professional athletes to become stronger and faster in their respective disciplines. She has trained professionals in swimming, triathlon, football, boxing and running.
When she is done training others, her world-class athleticism does not stop. Then, it is time for Melgaard to log countless hours of therapeutic training time. “I thoroughly enjoy swimming or cycling for hours at a time. You can let your thoughts go, allow yourself to live in the now, and enjoy the power that you generate from within your own body, mind, and soul.”
She teaches three-year-old graduates of the local Infant Swimming Resource program to learn the proper swimming techniques and survive in the water and assists flight attendants in Open Water Evacuation Procedures. Melgaard has a broad understanding and appreciation of safety and emergency skills as a USA Triathlon certified Race Director and Swim Course Coordinator.
After landing a role in the film, The Guardian with several Hollywood A-listers including Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner, Melgaard has continued to work in the entertainment industry, including working as a safety diver for the Discovery Channel and a Location Scout for water-based commercials and films. Melgaard has also completed her certifications for Super Level 1 Motion Picture Stunt Driving as well as her NAUI Scuba Diving Certification for Action Film Scuba Diving.
She competed in an adventure-based reality TV show called The Nevada Passage where she spent six days rock climbing, jet skiing, mountain biking and snowshoeing, sand boarding and kayaking. She helped produce the sports documentary Living is Winning and has been in front and behind the camera for NBC and ESPN – and even had the time to successfully launch a niche swimwear company a decade ago.
