MELISSA DEHNER (Kansas City, KS):

Hometown: Fairway, Kansas

Education: University of Kansas - 1997
                 BFA in Visual Communications
                 dual major Illustration and Graphic Design

Occupation: Business owner - HoneyBee Creative, LLC design studio (Graphic Designer and Illustrator)

Discipline: strengths:
          Mountain biking - endurance and technical riding/racing
          Cyclocross racing
          Running - on and off-road duathlons

FormerTeams: Dirt Rag Artsy Fartsy Five 24 hr mountain bike race team 2007

Category: Cat 4 Women Cyclocross, Sport Women Mountain Bike

Years Racing: 2

2008 Objectives: Main objective for 2008 - continue to really just enjoy getting out and keeping active by racing and training. Continue with mountain bike races, both sprint and endurance - maybe try a 12hr solo race since I competed in a 3hr solo and a 6hr solo in 2007, as well participated in my first 24hr race on a team. Continue participating in on and off-road duathlons, and continue with cyclocross racing.

 
Favorite race: Cyclocross racing is a blast, but so is the Heartland Mountain Bike series.

Admirable Athlete:  Picabo Street, Tony Hawk, Venus and Serena Williams. I like athletes who keep their game strong of course, but also live their life in a positive way and have a lot of fun doing what they do (and, well, I am a designer so their fun personal style is a definite inspiration to me too!)

Unique information or story about you: I spent 6 years as a child in Littleton, Colorado and started skiing when I was 3 years old and loved being outside as much as possible. I also started drawing the mountain sunsets at that same age and never quit drawing. I have had many wonderful dogs through out my life starting with a dog named Dusty my family adopted when I was two years old. Right now, my newest furry pal is a three-legged ball of energy named Sage Therese Dehner and can out-run most dogs at any dog park. She is one of my biggest inspirations today because she never gives up!

Most embarrassing (race) moment: Uh, oh....well, so far so good......but ask me again for 2009, and I'm guessing I will have plenty of good embarrassing stuff to report after a few more CX races and adding some more on-road stuff! 

Top Results:
2nd place, Midwest Meltdown duathlon, Kansas City KS (age group; 52nd o/a)
3rd overall, Heartland Mountain bike series (sport women)
4th place, Chris Cross CX - Lawrence, KS (women 4)
4th place, Rapture in Misery 6-hr solo MTB race, Landahl Park, Independence MO
4th place, Heartland Series -- Crank 'n' Cruise, Trenton MO (sport)
4th place, God's Country off-road duathlon, Lawrence, KS (age group)
5th place, Spoke Pony Showdown - Independence, MO (3hr Solo MTB)
5th place, Heartland MTB championship series (race #1), Perry Lake, KS (sport)
6th place, Heartland Race Series-KC Cup, Landahl Park, Independence MO (sport)
6th place Riverside Cross Festival, Riverside MO
8th place, Boulevard Cup CX Race - Wyandotte County, KS (women 4)
9th place, Syllamo's Revenge 50-mi MTB race, Mountain View, AR (sport)