Melville is now the USA national junior champion race walker and has represented the United States in a World Cup race in Russia.

"In America, race walk is not well known," said Melville. "You'll have your race at 8 in the morning and no one's really up and no one really comes to it. But there your race is mid-morning, mid-afternoon and just everyone comes to see it. You have a huge crowd."

Racewalking rules aren't complicated but are tough to get used to for runners. The knee has to be locked and the heel and one foot have to be on the ground at all times. You get two violations per race. The third gets you disqualified."

"My very first race I got disqualified. That was the only race I ever got disqualified in. It was actually because I had a bent knee. That was part of my motivation. It was like, 'oh I gotta try it again, I can't just do this one race and have it be a disqualified race." I just kept going with it."

She'll compete in Thursday's 5,000 meter race walk at the Empire State Games in Binghamton. Then she represents the Untied States in a meet against Canada in August. She has to move up to 20K in preparation for the 2012 Olympics

"I just want to try to make it to the Olympic trials for 2012. That'd be awesome. Who knows where I'll be but that's my long-term goal. It just takes that perseverance. You just have to keep staying committed and know that if you put in the time and effort, that's where you could end up."

She'll head back to Wisconsin-Parkside with some book money as well. She received a scholarship from the local Masonic Lodge. Her grandfather is a member.