April Hunter remembers Melissa Coates

I was angry & sad to learn she’d passed away after all she’d fought to overcome. I honestly thought she would show the entire world how badass she was once again – and she’d do it with just one leg.

Not in a million years would I have thought she’d be taken at this age by a sudden heart attack.

Melissa and I have had a long history. It started with fitness & modeling on the west coast…on to school at Killer Kowalski’s in Boston…and then the wrestling business (peppered with the occasional indy film.) Our paths have been interwoven and dotted with strife, help, injuries, anxiety, laughter, and forgiveness.

When I went through my health issues last year, she reached out, walked me through things, filled me in on what others had done, and explained how I could keep working.

She kept checking in. She didn’t have to.

Melissa was a hustler. An opportunist. A loyal person. A giver. Someone who saw the bigger picture. She had a tender, gentle soul.
For the genuine legacy she leaves behind, the biggest takeaway that speaks volumes about her is what we keep hearing people say: “Melissa Coates *was such a sweet person.*” This, from workers and fans alike.