Melissa Humana-Paredes

Melissa fell in love with the sport when she was still in diapers; she grew up watching her father travel the world, coaching his team – Mark Heese & John Child – to an Olympic Bronze Medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She quickly knew this was the dream she wanted to chase. Melissa completed her Communications Studies degree in 2017, graduating on the Dean’s Honour roll at York University in Toronto while also playing indoor. As captain of her team for three years, she was twice named OUA All-Star and the 2011 York University Female Athlete of the Year.  Originally from Toronto, Canada, Melissa is a 2020 Olympian, 7-time FIVB Gold Medalist, 5-time Canadian Champion, 2-time AVP Champion, Commonwealth Champion, and won Canada’s first-ever Gold at the 2019 World Championships. Melissa has been a member of Team Canada for over a decade, first representing Canada when she was just 15 years old. She and her new partner, fellow Canadian and AVP athlete Brandie Wilkerson, are ranked in the top 10 in the world. In Melissa’s first season on the AVP in 2019, her team won the Granddaddy MBO, the Hawaii Open, and she closed out the season with AVP’s Defender of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. 

Melissa loves animals, attending concerts, has a YouTube channel, and never leaves the house without lip balm.