Mel
Haslam
Place of birthCatterick Garrison
Melanie (Mel) Haslam joined the GB Bobsleigh set up at the start of the 2019/20 season and went on to make her international debut in January 2020.
Mel was part of Mica McNeill's crew for the first half of the Europa Cup campaign in December 2019 but had to wait until the following month to make her first competitive appearance in GB colours when she teamed up with Jo Ellett in Igls.
Mel had already represented her country in the sporting arena before starting bobsleigh, though, having competed at both the World and European Powerlifting Championships. She set a world record in the Under 70kg category - a record that still stands today under the WDFPF umbrella.
Having grown up on Catterick Garrison alongside five brothers and a sister, Mel joined the Royal Navy in 2005. She has now served 15 years in the military, with six of those spent on the UK Armed Forces Skeleton Team. She switched to bobsleigh in February 2019 and is the current number one ranked brakewoman in the Royal Navy, as well as the UK Armed Forces' Women's Team Champion.
A qualified personal trainer who runs her own nutrition company, MH Nutrition, Mel is currently studying for a BSc Hons in Nutritional Therapy.
MEL IN HER OWN WORDS...
- Nickname: Mel / Clubz
- Most likely to be spotted: in a Crossfit gym somewhere
- Least likely to be found: in a nightclub
- Me in three: where's the cake?
- Heroes: Dame Kelly Holmes, Tia Claire Toomey, John Jackson
- Random fact: I’ve got a very large portrait tattoo of my old boss' face somewhere on my body!
- If I wasn’t a slider: I'd still be powerlifting, hoping to qualify for the Commonwealth Games
- Career highlight: winning the Navy Championships and being the fastest Navy brakewomen; competing at the Inter Service Champs; spending time with Mica McNeil's crew on the Europa Cup circuit in 2019; and making my GB debut in January 2020
- Favourite track Konigssee
- Favourite Food Coffee & walnut cake
- Favourite film Double Jeopardy
- Favourite music Acoustic covers of old classics
Meet the team
- Adam Hames
- Adam Baird
- Alan Toward
- Alex Cortes-Tankard
- Amelia Coltman
- Ashleigh Pittaway
- Axel Brown
- Ben Simons
- Benjamin Fulker
- Brad Hall
- Brogan Crowley
- Bruce Tasker
- Charles Wlodarczak
- Charlotte Longden
- Corie Mapp
- Craig Thompson
- Dan Read
- Danny Holdcroft
- Dave Short
- David Coleman
- Dean Ward
- Donna Creighton
- Ed McDermott
- Éire Rowland-Evans
- Emily Barrett
- Felicity Bee
- Freya Tarbit
- Greg Cackett
- Harry Johnston
- Jacob Salisbury
- James Howard
- James Dasaolu
- Jerry Rice
- Jo Ellett
- Joel Fearon
- John Herbert
- John Stanbridge
- Lamin Deen
- Laura Deas
- Laurence Bostock
- Lucy Bugler
- Luka Williams
- Luke Dawes
- Marc Heywood
- Marcus Wyatt
- Mareks Mezencevs
- Matt Weston
- Matthias Biedermann
- Mica McNeill
- Michelle Radford
- Milly Kellyman
- Mitch Smith
- Montell Douglas
- Mossy Clifford
- Nash Vracas
- Natalie Dunman
- Nick Gleeson
- Olly Butterworth
- Patrick Atkin
- Peter Gunn
- Rachel Hanagan
- Rachel Blackburn
- Ronnie Wells
- Sam Blanchet
- Sarah Smith
- Sophie Bashford
- Stefan Squire
- Steve Smith
- Tabby Stoecker
- Taylor Lawrence
- Toby Olubi
- Victoria Williamson
- Wes Lewis
- William Scammell