Drop-dead gorgeous beauty is not a requirement for fitness competitors. Fit babes tend to make a statement with their beautiful bodies, not their faces. But wow, it sure does help when you have the looks to make people stop and stare. Melissa Merritt has that problem – the one where people stab themselves and turn their heads and drop their jaws and pant like overheated doggies. She competed in the 2008 Lackland Classic and suffered a very disappointing 2nd place loss. In many eyes, she stole the show. But she did manage to return to the Fitness America World Championships in Vegas later that year and clinch a 1st place win for Figure Overall. Melissa is 27 years old, 5’9″ tall, and lives in Austin Texas. She is a certified personal trainer, and trains Abby Marie (shown with Melissa in one of the photos below). She hopes to ultimately obtain her pro card and advance up the competitive ranks of fitness competitors.