Mela Stalker is a snowboarder who was awarded a Tier 3 Scholarship within the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program.
Mela was born on the Sunshine Coast, QLD, in 2004 and began her pursuits in snowboarding in 2013. Growing up on the coast, a little ways from any snow-related opportunities, Mela started off her passion in board sports; skating, and surfing.
With family holidays drawing her interest in winter sports, Mela began snowboarding in Niseko, Japan. Sparks Ignited. Instantly driven to get behind the sport, her initial pursuits took off in New Zealand at age 11 – becoming NZ Junior National age Champion in her first season competing.
Participating in the NZ winters, Mela backed up her Overall Junior National age Champion title five years running. At age 15, Mela represented Australia on the international stage for the first time, taking 4th place in both Slopestyle and Big Air at Rev Tour, Park City. These performances put her firmly on the Australian radar.
In 2021, Mela entered the Australian scene, receiving the Emerging Talent Athlete of the Year award in her first season. She has since then followed up that season by exploring the European Europa Cup Tour, making multiple finals, and finishing in 6th place for her first and last Junior World Championship.
As the 2023 season drew closer, Mela prepared for her World Cup and World Championship debuts, ranking in the 60s for both Slope and Big Air. After making finals in both her World Championship events, topping it off with an 8th place in her final European WC event, Mela now sits in 21st in the Slopestyle ranks and 40th in Big Air.
Juggling training and workload, her aspirations in snowboarding maintain a natural motivation and drive in and out of the season. While her sights are set on the 2026 Winter Olympics, Mela has great ambitions of progressing and competing at a professional level and is dedicated to creating a lifelong career out of the sport. Expressing a passion for not only the competitive scene but the backcountry and filming route as well.
“The prerogative of becoming a SAHOF Scholarship holder is so exciting! It’s such a privilege to be recognised as an up-and-coming athlete, supported for the sport I compete in, and for my future ambitions aligned with it. Not only that, it’s an honour to receive the opportunity to be amongst a foundation of incredible athletes and to participate in the future progression and success of Australian Sport. I’m hyped to move forward as a SAHOF Scholarship holder and utilise the advantages it offers to progress in and outside my sport!!” – Mela Stalker on being selected as a 2024 Tier 3 Scholarship Holder
Honours & Achievements
- 2023 Silvaplana Freestyle World Cup (Seniors) – 8th
- 2023 Bakuriani World Championships Slopestyle (Seniors) – 11th
- 2023 Kreisherg Big Air (Seniors) – 13th (World Cup Debut)
- 2023 Junior World Championship Slopestyle (Juniors) – 6th
- 2023 Bakuriani World Championship Big Air (Seniors) – 17th
Social Links | @mela_jade_
Photo Credit – Chris Hocking
