Tiffany Melius caught my eye after seeing her FEAT video. Climbing? Check. Broken Bones? Check. Success? Check. A life filled with adventure? 100% all the way!

Tiffany Melius was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. She was an active child who grew up climbing trees, swimming, cycling and playing a variety of sports. She was competitive, determined and hardworking and quickly started to excel as an athlete. When she was 14 she took up rock climbing and was immediately hooked.

Since those early days Tiffany has excelled in rock climbing and bouldering, overcoming some major physical and mental obstacles in order to succeed. She was selected to represent Australia in the Bouldering World Cups in Hamilton, Ontario and Vail, Colorado in 2013 and 2014. Her best result was 8th at the Asian X-Games in 2004. She’s a force to be reckoned with!

What I love about Tiffany though is that when I ask her about “adventure” I immediately expected to hear about her climbing expeditions. She’s responded with, “Which aspect of my life do you want to hear about, I’ve got a lot more than climbing going on…”

When I dug a bit deeper I learned that Tiffany has travelled to over 35 countries and lived and worked in four. She’s been a solo female traveller through Africa and walked from the bottom to the top of Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

When she’s not climbing or travelling, Tiffany is giving back to her community. She has been a Director on three non-profit Boards, and involved in the governing bodies for competition climbing at a State or National level in two countries. She told me that she has organized local to National level competitions and coached climbers from 5-60 years old.

Inspiring woman? Absolutely!
Jami, “I love how you say your whole life is an adventure. Are you able to expand on that? Why do you live an adventurous lifestyle? Have you always been this way?”

Tiffany, “My whole life is an adventure because of the perspective I take on it.  When you approach life with an insatiable curiosity, a wonder at the world, and the people and places in it, you can’t help but feel like you’re always discovering and uncovering new things and ways of being.  I love change and dislike stagnation.  I am always looking for new experiences and things to learn.  Yep, I think I’ve always been like this.  I am very driven, so I actively seek out opportunities, I don’t wait for them to come to me.  “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

Jami, “What’s a lesson you learned from a time where you “failed?”

Tiffany, “I’m still learning this lesson.  I failed (in my own eyes) at the Asian X-Games in 2004.  I thought that I was over that failure because I moved on, but I only recently realized that it had never been resolved, and was still acting as a block in my life.  I had recognized that there was a block, but could never identify it as this particular event because I always kept pushing it down thinking that it was not big enough, or important enough to have been a block for me for over ten years.  Look at all the things I had done and achieved in the meantime!  I learned that if you don’t ‘lean in’ to an emotion, and sit in it, feel it fully, and allow it to be there without judgement, it will remain unresolved until you do.  ‘Moving on’ as a coping mechanism is overrated, and a product of an intellectual/rationally-based civilization.  I’m not saying wallow in self-pity.  I’m saying observe that there is something that you need to feel and really let yourself feel it.  You don’t even necessarily have to name what emotion it is.  Just feel how it feels without guilt, impatience, judgement…”

Jami, “What is your favorite inspirational quote?”

Tiffany, “Don’t worry about what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

Jami, “Tell me about your latest adventure!”

Tiffany, “This year I have changed my focus – I am training to be a life coach. This adventure has changed my life!  Anyone who has done a life coaching course will tell you that it’s a roller coaster ride of self-discovery and learning about how to relate to others.  In my course I discovered some deeply held beliefs that were holding me back, uncovered my inner power, and learned about how to communicate with others in a way that avoids the ‘shutting down’ that comes when we feel judged.  I feel like a different person to who I was six months ago, and this is definitely going to be a foundation for the rest of my life.”

Jami, “Who inspires you? Why?”

Tiffany, “People inspire me.  I learn something new from someone every day.  One of the things I love about life coaching is that although most people’s core issues are the same or similar, the way different people view the issue/deal with it, and how it manifests in their lives, is different for everyone.  Being genuinely curious about people teaches you so much more than developing your own conclusions about them from the outside.

My mum also inspires me.  She has always been incredibly supportive of me and she is way stronger than she gives herself credit for.  She is resilient and loving and has the best heart!

And not who, but what – nature inspires me. Getting back to what was here before us, and what will be here when we are gone reminds me of both the transience of our stay, and the eternity of where we came from.  It has such a calming effect on me.  It is both strong and violent, and gentle and miraculous.  There is very little else on the planet that encompasses such a wide range of seemingly opposite characteristics.”

Jami, “One song that always makes you get up and dance…”

Tiffany, “Well, my favourite song is “You Gotta Be” by Desiree.  It’s boppy, and makes me nod my head but it doesn’t make me get up and dance.  I’m not sure if this article needs to be G rated or not, but the song that really makes me dance is, “I just had sex” by Lonely Island!”
Jami, “I think it’s important for children to connect with nature because…”

Tiffany, “Oh so many reasons!  Connection creates investment, and when children are invested in nature they will be inspired and motivated to protect it.  It is where we as humans largely get our meaning from, where we learn about our place in the universe – children will be able to find and live their life’s purpose so much more readily if they have a foundation in that.  It’s where we come from and where we will go…

Jami, “Finish this sentence, My favorite local family adventure is…”

Tiffany, “I love bouldering or hiking in Squamish with friends and family!”

Jami, “My favorite local solo adventure is…”

Tiffany, “Walking or running along the West Vancouver or Stanley Park sea walls”

Jami, “Girl Guide Cookie Talk: Do you like the chocolate or vanilla ones best?”

Tiffany, “I have never had a Girl Guide cookie and I am gluten-free so I can’t answer literally.  Metaphorically speaking I love the richness of the chocolate! :)”

Tiffany is an inspirational woman who’s just getting started… Aside from starting her own coaching business (Force of Nature Coaching) she recently tackled a big item on her bucket list, SHAVING HER HEAD! Check out the emotional video here:

Tiffany, you’ve inspired, shocked and amazed me with all you’ve done. I can’t wait to check in with you in a year and hear about all your new adventures! Thank you for being one amazing, inspirational woman!