Melissa Kozyra’s daily life is all go, go, go. As a wife, mother, and grandmother her days are full of activities pulling her attention from this way to that. Between her husband and herself, they have four children and ten grandchildren that keep them very busy.
As a child, Melissa spent her days exploring outside, so it is no surprise that she now enjoys adventuring into the wilderness. Melissa relishes long-distance hiking and jokes that if she wants to slow her life down to 2.5 miles per hour, she just needs to go hiking. She loves the solitude of nature, the rawness of the beauty amongst it, and having her mind to herself while she is out there.
Some of the longest hikes Melissa has done include the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail, which she completed in 2021 over 141 days and also trekking extensively in Patagonia. Hiking requires extensive preparation, from training to packing the gear, and knowing how to use it correctly.
The extreme treks Melissa has undertaken include climbing Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. The Mt. Vinson expedition was particularly arduous, as Melissa was part of the first climb of that season, which meant they were responsible to dig up the supplies left from the previous year. The trek was only meant to be ten days and ended up taking twenty days due to bad weather.
Suffice to say Melissa enjoys pushing things to the limit, but when I quizzed her on this, she agreed but added, “I would not call myself an adrenaline junky and I would not do something like bungy jump off a bridge. I prefer pursuits where I remain in control.”
In addition to being a lover of the great outdoors, Melissa has grown to love fast cars as well. “While my passion for nature has been lifelong, my love for cars developed later after meeting my husband. Initially, I saw cars purely as a way to get from point A to point B, but being around sports cars changed my perspective entirely,” said Melissa.
She began participating in local performance driving events with her husband about 15 years ago. Melissa was initially terrified, however the thrill eventually took over. She has completed performance driving curriculums with both Porsche and Ferrari and her entry into racing happened almost by accident in 2023 while supporting a friend in the Ferrari Club Challenge.
“While there, we found a Ferrari 488 Evo Challenge car for sale. My husband asked what I thought about ‘getting the car,’ and I assumed he meant for our collection; I soon realised he meant for me to drive it!” shared Melissa.
Initially competing is a few Club Challenge races at the end of 2023, Melissa then stepped up to the Ferrari Challenge. Since midway through 2024, Melissa has been racing in the Shell Am racing category in the North American Ferrari Challenge series.
“I love the total focus required when you are in the car. When I’m racing, nothing else exists except the next turn and the cars around me. It is a form of moving meditation that requires absolute presence. In the race car I am controlling 100 per cent of that chaos and there is a structure to driving the car,” explained Melissa.
From a miles per hour point of view it’s the complete opposite of hiking, but the old adage of motorsport applies, if it looks slow, you’re going fast. In her first full season in 2025, Melissa achieved two P3 finishes, two P2 finishes, and two P1 finishes. Melissa also secured 12 Ladies Cup P1 finishes and finished P3 overall in the 2025 Season Championship. Her main goal is to continue improving her race craft and consistency. Melissa wants to keep pushing her limits in the Shell Am category and eventually move up as her pace improves.
“This year, I am excited to tackle new tracks on the 2026 schedule, including The Thermal Club and Sebring International Raceway. But my favourite track in the US is Watkins Glen. The track is technical with great elevation and it is set out in the country,” said Melissa.
A typical Ferrari Challenge weekend is intense and fast-paced. It usually begins with testing and practice sessions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to dial in the car. Saturday consists of qualifying and racing, followed by a final qualifying and race on Sunday. Between sessions, Melissa is reviewing data and video with her coach to find areas for improvement. Despite the competition, the atmosphere is like a family; everyone from the drivers to the Ferrari staff knows one another.
All drivers in the North American Ferrari Challenge compete in the Ferrari 296 Challenge car. This means that it is driver skill that wins the race, as no car on track has an advantage over another. Melissa’s first race weekend was at Watkins Glen and despite her nerves, she finished with a clean car, gained positions, and even secured the fastest lap in her first race.
“It’s fun to be a woman competing in a male-dominated sport and beating them,” said Melissa. I asked if the trekking she does is also male-dominated? Melissa thought for moment and told me that in all of the mountaineering excursions she had done that there was only one other woman who participated and this was something that she had never actually thought about before then.
Melissa’s favourite track in Europe so far is Mugello in Italy as its incredibly fast with beautiful flowing turns, and the history of the circuit makes it a truly special place to drive. She would also love to race at Spa-Francorchamps or the Nürburgring because they are iconic, challenging circuits that every driver dreams of experiencing.
But the ultimate GT racing spectacle of them all is the Le Mans 24-hour race and this year Melissa has been selected from the current US Ferrari Challenge competitors to compete alongside fellow drivers from the European continental series in a support category at Le Mans. Something quite rightly that Melissa is very excited about.
“This is ticking off a real bucket list experience for me! I hope my journey shows other women that it is never too late to start a new chapter or pursue a challenging passion. We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for,” concluded Melissa.
Racing and mountain climbing require immense mental fortitude, preparation, and respect for the environment. In both pursuits, Melissa has to manage her fear and make split-second decisions under pressure. Whether she is summiting a peak or hitting a continuous apex, the discipline and endurance required takes control and that’s why Melissa excels in both fields.
Photographs Supplied.