Mel Pemble Explained

Melissa "Mel" Pemble is a Canadian para alpine skier and para cyclist. She won back-to-back gold medals in omnium C3 at the 2022 and 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. She won two medals in para-cycling at the 2023 Parapan American Games.

Early life and education

Pemble was born in Lancashire, England with cerebral palsy affecting her right side.^[1] Her parents thought it would be good for her to take up a sport to help with her balance and coordination.^[2] She moved to Victoria, British Columbia at age 9 with her parents.^[3] She twisted her knee after an early skiing lesson in France, but took up para-skiing again after moving to Canada.

Pemble graduated from the Canadian Sports School-Victoria.^[4]

Career

Para-skiing

At the 2015 Canada Winter Games, Pemble won the women’s Giant Slalom Para female race.^[5] She also won a silver medal in slalom para alpine skiing at the Games.^[6]

Pemble competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics as the youngest Canadian skier at the games.^[7] She finished eleventh in women's giant slalom,^[8] and women's super-G,^[9] and ninth in women's downhill^[10] and women's super combined.^[11] She did not finish in women's slalom.^[12]

She competed at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships. Pemble made the decision to end her para-skiing career in 2020.

Para-cycling

When she was 14, the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific's Podium Search program identified Pemble for para-cycling. She competed at the provincial level and used the sport as cross-training for skiing. She was coached by Kurt Innes, who later coached her upon her return to the sport in 2020 after a five-year break from the sport.

She made her world debut in para-cycling competing at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, at which she won a gold medal in omnium^[13] and scratch race.^{[14] [15]} She set a para-cycling world record in the non-medaled 200-metre sprint in 2022.^{[16] [17]} She also placed third in the 500m time trial and fourth in the four-kilometre individual pursuit.

At the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Pemble won gold in omnium, a bronze medal in the time trial event, and a silver in the women’s C3 scratch race.^[18]

Pemble competed at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. She won the gold medal in the women's 3,000-metre C1-3 individual pursuit.^[19] She finished fourth in the women's individual road race C1–3^[20] and seventh in the women's individual road time trial C1–5.^[21]

She won a silver medal in the women’s C3 500m time trial and a bronze medal in the women's C3 omnium at the 2024 UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships.^[22] Also at the 2024 UCI Para Cycling Championships, Pemble placed 5th in the Individual Pursuit and 6th in the Scratch Race.^[23]

Pemble is set to compete in para-cycling at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.^[24]

References

1. Web site: Smart . Zack . 2022-11-12 . Mel Pemble's journey from Winter Paralympian to Para-cycling world champion . cbc.ca.
2. Web site: Dheenshaw . Cleve . 2018-03-09 . She took up skiing to help with cerebral palsy, now she’s at Paralympics . 2024-01-01 . Times Colonist . en.
3. Web site: Dheenshaw . Cleeve . 2023-11-26 . Pemble's gold caps six-medal performance by Island athletes at Para Pan Am Games . 2024-01-01 . Victoria Times Colonist . en.
4. Web site: Dheenshaw . Cleve . 2019-05-25 . Canadian Sport School-Victoria a pipeline to national teams . 2024-01-01 . Times Colonist . en.
5. Web site: Dheenshaw . Cleve . 2015-02-17 . Pemble gives Island first medal at Canada Winter Games . 2024-01-01 . Times Colonist . en.
6. Web site: Dheenshaw . Cleve . 2015-03-01 . Islanders made mark at Canada Winter Games . 2024-01-01 . Times Colonist . en.
7. Web site: Depner . Wolf . 2018-02-26 . Saanich skier reaching for top of podium in South Korea . 2024-01-01 . Saanich News . en.
8. Web site: PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-giant-slalom-standing . 2022-11-14 . International Paralympic Committee . en.
9. Web site: PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-super-g-standing . 2022-11-14 . International Paralympic Committee . en.
10. Web site: PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-downhill-standing . 2022-11-14 . International Paralympic Committee . en.
11. Web site: PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-super-combined-standing . 2022-11-14 . International Paralympic Committee . en.
12. Web site: PyeongChang 2018 - alpine-skiing - womens-slalom-standing . 2022-11-14 . International Paralympic Committee . en.
13. Web site: 2022-10-03 . Canadian Para-cyclist Mel Pemble crowned omnium world champion . CBC.
14. Web site: 2022-10-21 . Mel Pemble hauls in 1st Canadian gold medal at Para-cycling track worlds . cbc.ca.
15. Web site: Hansen . Matt . 2022-10-21 . Para-cycling world championships day 2: Mel Pemble wins scratch . 2024-01-01 . Canadian Cycling Magazine . en-CA.
16. Web site: 2022-10-21 . Pemble Wins Rainbow Jersey at Para Cycling World Championships . Cycling BC.
17. Web site: Dheenshaw . Cleve . 2022-10-21 . Victoria cyclist eyes Paris 2024 after gold medal at world championships . 2024-01-01 . Times Colonist . en.
18. News: 2023-08-08 . B.C.’s Mel Pemble clinches women’s C3 omnium title at worlds . en-CA . The Globe and Mail . 2024-01-01.
19. News: 2023 . GOLD MEDAL: Victoria's Mel Pemble captures 3,000m C1-3 individual pursuit Parapan Am title . CBC . 2023-12-31.
20. Web site: Hansen . Matt . 2023-11-28 . Canadian Paracyclists take more two medals at Parapan Am Games road races . 2024-01-01 . Canadian Cycling Magazine . en-CA.
21. Web site: Women's C1-5 Individual Time Trial Results .
22. News: 2024-03-23 . Canada's Mel Pemble claims bronze in omnium at Para track cycling worlds in Rio . 2024-05-28 . CBC.
23. Web site: 2024-03-26 . Canada wins four medals at UCI Para Cycling World Championships in Rio Canadian Paralympic Committee . 2024-05-28 . Paralympic Canada.
24. News: 2024-08-05 . 6 years later, B.C. athlete heads back to Paralympics . 2024-08-08 . CBC.