Resident Profile – Melissa Fleischacker

Like many in our community, Melissa Fleischacker moved to Fernie from Ontario (Thunderbay) after finishing University. She got a job travelling across Canada as a support crew for Cycle Canada. “I knew I wanted to go somewhere west, but hadn’t picked a place yet. I didn’t want to go as big as Whistler or Banff. I thought maybe Golden, but when we arrived I thought it was too small. So I kept my ear out and knew people that had come to Fernie and thought I would try it out.”

Melissa secured a position with the ski school before arriving, and started working at Rip N Richards in 2003. “I did the whole, ‘I’ll try a summer here’ which of course meant I stayed the next winter,” she remembers. Melissa then travelled to Africa for a season volunteering for a Living with Elephants foundation – “the Bear Aware of Botswana.”

“When I left for Africa, I took everything I had in Fernie home to Ontario in case I didn’t come back. I was with my boyfriend Ryan at the time and he had bought a place which led to my return and Fernie becoming home!” Melissa moved all of her stuff back to Fernie, and began working at Rips and as a ski instructor again.

It was around this time that Melissa was diagnosed with cancer, just two days before an up coming Relay for Life. “Three years prior my dad had been diagnosed, and then a friend and then me,” remembers Melissa. She recalls hearing the news and saying, “Okay, what do we do.” With an unwavering look of perseverance you know there was only one outcome she considered.

While Melissa was in treatment she had heard that the previous chair for the Elk Valley Relay for Life was stepping down, and put a proposal together for the contract. She coordinated the Relay in 2008 and 2009, running a column in the spring Fernie Fix issues sharing the stories of people in the community affected by cancer. The first story she shared was her own, touching the hearts of our readers, giving hope to many, and creating momentum for the yearly Elk Valley Relay for Life. Melissa may no longer be the coordinator for the Relay, but she has still manages to add to the momentum through her involvement with Snow Sisters.

The Snow Sisters began in 2005 when a group of girls decided to get together to raise money for the Relay. How they raise money varies year to year. Probably their most courageous and coveted fundraising effort was the Snow Sisters Calendar, which included 13 girls along with designer Keya White and photographer Kirsty Morris. That calendar, portraying tasteful photographs of each girl engaged in a sport they are passionate about – nude, raised over $10,000.

This year the team has taken over the Sex and the City fundraising event alongside their individual fundraising efforts. “To date we have raised over $35,000 in just four years. With this year’s event we are trying to hit $40,000!”

“Cancer is something that affects everybody and the Relay for Life does make a difference,” Melissa says when asked about her dedication to it. “Research is needed for advancement in treatment. When you compare people from 20 years ago to those receiving treatment today, there is a huge difference in the impact it has on the body and the survival rate. Being involved is a way to feel like you’re giving back to the cause, but for me it’s also a thank you. Research helped me and I survived. It also provides hope for others. It’s not a death sentence. It’s another sickness and you start dealing with it. The Relay is a way to deal with it, sharing with others and what they have gone through.”

Good luck Snow Sisters, and thanks Melissa for sharing your inspiring story.

1. When did you arrive in Fernie and what brought you here? November 2003 because of the skiing and the mountains.

2. Where did you first live in Fernie? I lived in Lou Ferbur’s basement on 3rd Ave.

3. What was your first impression? I was supposed to stay at a friends house on 1st Ave, but they weren’t there when I arrived so I drove down second, went to the end and thought, “That’s it?” Turned around and went back. BUT I was also in awe of how close the mountains were – you don’t get that anywhere.

4. What keeps you in Fernie? The access to outdoor activities, friends, and the community feeling.

5. Do you have a favourite Fernie memory? Winter of 2008, when I learned what they meant about legendary powder. Skied every day!

6. What is your favourite time of the year in Fernie and why? It’s still the winter because I did come here to ski, but I love the other activities the rest of the year as well.

7. Where do you see Fernie in 5 to 10 years? A family oriented community that continues to grow and develop. I don’t see growth stopping.

8. How do you start your day or what is one of your daily rituals? I start my day by waking up and frantically trying to get out of the house on time, and a daily ritual would be spending time with Ryan and Roscoe.

9. Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you. I’m obsessed with “To Do” lists, but that might not be a surprise. It might be surprising that I spent over ten years as a competitive dancer growing up.

Quote to live by: Always be the person your dog thinks you are.