Drawing from her life experiences as a mentor, teacher, coach, college athlete, leader and Freedom Challenge climber, Shelly creatively weaves her life stories and the lessons she has learned into dynamic, inspiring and engaging leadership and team building workshops, seminars, ​conferences and retreats. She is a keynote speaker for businesses and corporations, universities, and athletic organizations.

As a woman of faith, Shelly also speaks at Christian venues. Scripture and personal life experiences are woven throughout her messages. She has taught Bible studies, presented to Christian groups, and has been a keynote speaker for Christian women's events and conferences.

Shelly was an all-state, 12-letter, multi-sport athlete. Her dream of playing NCAA Division I volleyball was fulfilled when she accepted a full athletic scholarship to play for Baylor University in Waco, Texas where she was a 4-year starter, team captain and most valuable player. Shelly graduated from Baylor with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, majoring in physical education and minoring in special education.
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Shelly has been a leader and entrepreneur in the sport of volleyball as a trainer, coach, and director of players and coaches for 30 years. She has been involved in many aspects of the sport, to include coaching at the varsity, junior varsity, and middle school levels; founding, directing, and coaching a successful USA Volleyball (USAV) Junior Club in the Dallas (TX) area; serving as an elected representative on regional and national USAV junior boards; teaching private lessons; and directing summer camps, clinics, and volleyball academy programs. As an educator, Shelly has taught both elementary and high school physical education and has worked as an adapted physical education teacher for students with learning differences and physical challenges.

An outdoor adventurist, Shelly's hobbies are hiking, mountaineering, and mountain biking! She loves the challenge that outdoor activities provide and she only wishes she would have picked up those passions much earlier in life. Her Mount Everest Base Camp/Kala Patthar Freedom Challenge experience lit a passion inside her to pursue more adventures as such in the future. In 2019, Shelly teamed up once again with the Freedom Challenge participating in the Pacific Northwest Glacier Challenge as part of a team of eight women who climbed Mount Baker (WA.) to raise funds and awareness about the atrocities of modern day slavery and human trafficking. 

Shelly was born and raised in Elkton, Michigan, lived in Texas for 30 years, and now currently resides in Frankenmuth, Michigan, better known as one of Michigan's popular tourist cities, "Little Bavaria!" A lover of  music and playing the drums since her childhood, she is currently a percussionist, drummer and vocalist serving on the worship team at Hopevale Church in Saginaw, Michigan. God blessed her to be the mother of two amazing children! Her son, Christian is a musician and worship director who is married to Abby, who serves alongside him on their church worship team as a vocalist and pianist. Shelly's daughter, Jordyn is a photographer and caregiver who is married to Gideon, who works full-time with his family's business.