Representative honours
Australian Olympic Sailing Team, Australian Teamsailing World Championship Team, Australian World Championship Mistral representative
Representative honours
Australian Olympic Sailing Team, Australian Teamsailing World Championship Team, Australian World Championship Mistral representative
     |
Melanie's family moved to Mosman in 1973. She attended Mosman Infants, Mosman Primary and later Queenwood School for Girls. She started windsurfing at Balmoral in 1980.
In 1982 she won the NSW State Teamsailing Championships and was selected for the World Teamsailing Championships in France, her team placing second. In 1983 Greg Butchart, Stuart Gilbert and Melanie again represented Australia at the World Teamsailing Championships in Italy and came home world champions. They were runners-up again in 1984 in Italy.
She was selected to represent Australia at the 1984 LA Olympics in the Olympic Boardsailing Exhibition. Melanie placed fourth overall. She then returned home and completed her HSC.
In 1986 and 1987, Melanie took time out from medical studies to pursue her windsurfing career fulltime. In 1986 she achieved 2 individual world titles in the Mistral World Championships in Switzerland winning the marathon and overall world titles. She also won the 1988 Mistral World Championship in courseracing and freestyle (Sydney) and 1990 Windsurfing World Championship in freestyle (Adelaide).
She has won 9 state titles, 7 national wavesailing events and titles, 15 national titles and 6 world titles.
In 1991 Melanie completed her medical degree with honours and married Robert Webb. She has three children and works as a doctor part-time in both public and private hospitals.