Dr. Mary Beth Melendez is a two-time Olympian, Brandon chiropractor, founder of LiveWell7 and mother of two. She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, competed in the Hawaii Ironman, and received her certification in animal chiropractic. In August, she opened her first chiropractic clinic in Brandon to serve her clients.
Dr. Melendez’s clinic, LiveWell7, offers a variety of chiropractic services to the community. LiveWell7 focuses on the seven dimensions of wellness, including mental, physical, social, financial, spiritual, environmental and vocational health and wellness.
“I tend to spend a little more time with each visit, so I’m not a real high-volume practice,” she said about her dedication to each of her clients.
Dr. Melendez has a master’s degree in nutrition and is a certified chiropractor, allowing her to serve her community through her work. While Dr. Melendez has known she wanted to be a doctor for most of her life, she has also completed a number of athletic endeavors.
Dr. Melendez has known she wanted to do the Olympics since she was 9 years old, watching the Olympics on television. She joined an Olympic development clinic six years later where she fell in love with pentathlons.
In 1998, Dr. Melendez participated in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, where she placed third in her age group. The next year, she participated in the Pan American Games and became the first woman to qualify for the 2000 Olympics in Australia.
After finishing in fourth place in the Olympics, she received her chiropractic degree from Logan College of Chiropractic. Before she started her practice, she began training for the 2004 Olympics, where she finished 15th overall.
However, Dr. Melendez didn’t stop her athletic pursuits after the Olympics. She also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2008 after being sponsored by the Wisconsin nutritional supplement company she worked for at the time.
“It was a totally different experience than anything I had ever done before,” said Dr. Melendez about the 2008 summit. “It’s not like Mount Everest, where it’s technical, but it’s still very challenging. … It’s a really long hike, and I had a great group of friends that I did it with.”
Dr. Melendez became a mother in 2010 when her first son, Xavi, was born. Two years later, her second and youngest son, Nico, was born.
“Having been in the military community, I have a heart to serve the military, service members past and present and their families,” explained Dr. Melendez.
With this passion to give back to her community, Dr. Melendez started her nonprofit, AimWell, to provide chiropractic care and nutritional counseling at reduced rates for those that qualify. Through AimWell, Dr. Melendez hopes to increase access to quality health care for individuals with special needs, military members and their families as well as animals from rescue organizations.
For more information about Dr. Melendez, read her story on www.marybethdc.com. To set up an appointment or learn more about LiveWell7 and AimWell, text 813-733-5497 or call 813-689-6359.
LiveWell7 is located at 506 Westbrook Ave. in Brandon off U.S. Highway 60 between Bryan Road and Lithia Pinecrest Road.
