Endeavor first officer races her 9th IRONMAN triathlon in honor of her sister

Determined, unstoppable, and driven are the words Melanie Henderson embraces as she takes on each day. Once the ATL-based first officer sets her mind on a goal, there is little that will stop her from accomplishing it – it’s always ‘Plan A’ or nothing.

This mindset powers her through completing one of the toughest races – an IRONMAN
70.3.

“I reached a point where I wanted to not just work out to work out,” Melanie said. “A close friend of mine encouraged me to sign up for a triathlon since they had already raced in a couple. I said, ‘you don’t have to ask me twice!’”

In April 2021, Melanie debuted as a triathlete, competing in the IRONMAN 70.3 — otherwise known as the Half IRONMAN. The race is a total of 70.3 miles comprised of 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and 13.1 miles of running.

Melanie has now raced in a total of nine IRONMAN events and has qualified for five world championship events – four IRONMAN 70.3 races and one full IRONMAN.

While the pilot normally races to accomplish goals and improve her time at each event, her most recent race wasn’t about setting a new PR. Melanie was racing for her sister Marnel, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last October.

“Finding out about my sister kind of shook our family and was extremely sad for all of us. But so far, it’s looking positive,” Melanie said. “She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is a fighter. We all believe in her.”

Melanie’s sister is an avid runner, and since she isn’t running as frequently these days, Melanie decided to race this one for her. Melanie collaborated with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and designed a new race shirt with the BCRF logo on it.

“I hope this brings more awareness to breast cancer and all others,” Melanie said. “I wanted to do this race for her and for anybody else that is dealing with an illness that is preventing them from running or doing triathlons.”

The dedicated race took place on December 14, 2024, in Taupo, New Zealand. The course was nature’s ultimate playground with a pristine freshwater swim, a countryside bike, and stunning lakefront.

“My favorite part was the run, since the lake path was lined with wild black swans,” Melanie said.
“Although I picked up a cold a few days before the race and the outcome wasn’t as good as I wanted, it was a beautiful course, and I reminded myself of the purpose of this race.”

Despite a few setbacks, Melanie crossed the finish line with a time of 5:33:21 and received the ultimate accolade – making Marnel proud.

“I am so proud of Melanie,” Marnel said. “That was the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me. She is such an inspiration to me. You never know, maybe one day we will be doing an IRONMAN together.”

As far as Melanie’s next goals are concerned, she will continue to coach other triathletes for their upcoming races. And for Melanie, she already has her sights set on her next race – a full IRONMAN in Taiwan.