Melanie DeMure is a mother of four, a boys high school volleyball coach, and in her spare time the reigning California Mrs. Galaxy winner.
The 42-year-old mother doesn’t fit the normal profile you’d expect to see in a pageant champion. For one, she is twice the required minimum age for contestants, and has actually served as a volunteer on her local Parent Teacher Association for more years than some of her competitors have been alive (22 years).
But DeMure has proven herself as an adept contestant, winning the competition this week.
In volleyball circles in California, Melanie DeMure is known as one of the sharpest coaches and owner of the prestigious Gold Cal Juniors Volleyball Club, a magnet for talent.
Her commitment to the sport is seen in the club’s mission statement: “Gold Cal Jrs Volleyball Club believes that success is a result of developing the players. Our desire is to provide opportunity for highly motivated volleyball players to further develop and enhance their skills through participation in USA Volleyball’s Junior Program. Gold Cal Jrs seeks to offer various programs depending on individual skill levels and the commitment of each player and team.”
In other words, Melanie DeMure is not messing around when it comes to volleyball. One of the rising stars she’s coached on the court is her own daughter, Emily DeMure, a promising sophomore on the Oak Hills varsity team.
Demure is also pretty serious on the pageant floor. In the California Mrs. Galaxy contest, she stood out against her much younger contestants in competitions for evening gown, swimsuit, fashion wear, and interview questions. DeMure may have had a leg up in the questions portion, as she already serves as spokesperson of youthachievingexcellence.com.
For Melanie DeMure, it’s hard to tell where her brighter future lies. While she just won one of the most competitive beauty pageants, she’s also got a chance to make waves in the volleyball world after leading her team to the 2013 USA Volleyball Jr. Nationals.
