Kika Mela, BSE, LMT is President and Head Therapist of Mela Therapeutics, Inc.She graduated from Florida College of Natural Health in 1995 as a massage therapist and received her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University in 2006.Kika has had in depth training and/or experience in Paul St.John’s Neuromuscular Therapy, CORE Myofascial Release (certified), Active Isolated Stretching, Soft Tissue Release, Craniosacral Therapy, Sports Massage, and and is a Muscle Activation Techniques™ Specialist after an extensive 10 month internship.She also served an internship in the Athletic Performance Department at Perfect Competition Athletic Development Center under Pete Bommarito MS, CSCS, USAW. Working with Pete, she has provided the massage therapy and Muscle Activation Therapy for over 200 professional and elite athletes. She has also helped coordinate the therapy for well over 100 athletes training for the NFL Scouting Combine with Pete Bommarito (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011) and Tony Villani of XPE Sports (2010, 2011).
Kika began her career as a professional jockey and understands firsthand the physical strains endured by athletes. After being nominated for the prestigious Sovereign Award as outstanding apprentice jockey of Canada in 1991, she retired from racing to focus on her studies. Because of her athletic background, she has made sports massage and dealing with sports injuries the focal point of her practice. She has been the therapist for the FAU Owls Football team (2001), FAU Owls Men’s Ice Hockey Club (2004-2007), and FIU Golden Panther's Football Team (2010, 2011) and donated time to Barry University’s Men’s Soccer team in 2007. In 1996 she accompanied her client to the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ga, was the therapist for the Elite runners of both the 1999 Run Barbados Marathon and the inaugural running of the Miami Tropical Marathon (currently the IMG Miami Marathon). Kika also travels the country to meet her client’s needs.
Frequently, Kika has been asked to speak at colleges and Universities as well as to personal trainers, doctors, and other massage therapists on massage therapy or MAT and has been consulted by the Discovery Health Channel regarding the healthcare of professional jockeys. During her time at FAU, she was involved with various research projects and co-authored a paper on Active Isolated Stretching. An avid student, she is constantly trying to learn more about each sport she works with. Her education has ranged from QB lessons with Drew Stanton of the Detroit Lions to MMA Training with Mike Bruno of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. She is currently on the Advisory Board of Bommarito Performance Systems and consults on athlete care, exercises, and therapy.
In 2008, Kika and her husband Roberto started Mela Therapeutics, Inc. as a massage therapy company dedicated to providing the highest level of massage and bodywork.
