Mylissa was born in a area that she fondly refers to as “The Saskatchewan of Ontario” but spent much of her childhood travelling between this windswept, crop growing region and her grandparent’s home in the woods of Northern Ontario. A life-long nature enthusiast, she has always felt more at home in the middle of nowhere and spent most of her time, on visits to the north, exploring on her grandparents’ property and the surrounding crown land.
From an early age, Mylissa had her sights set on an abnormal life, setting the career goal of becoming a photojournalist and combat photographer. While her life has not followed a typical course, or even the one she originally envisioned, Mylissa did graduate from the Creative Photography program at Humber College, Ontario and photography continues to be a part of her life to this day (www.captive-eye.com).
After escaping from an abusive relationship in her mid-30’s, a friend introduced Mylissa to indoor rock climbing, which she credits to saving her life by building her self-confidence and sense of self worth. What started with Indoor Rock Climbing, grew to a love of outdoor climbing – both traditional and sport. A trip to Iceland to play on glaciers with a guide friend stoked Mylissa’s interest in both ice climbing and mountaineering.
Mylissa spent several years as an active volunteer with the Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC), assisting with tabling and speaking at events, coordinating volunteer efforts and programs. She also became a member of the Alpine Club of Canada, Toronto Section (ACCTS) around the same time. In 2021, Mylissa made the decision to shift her efforts to supporting the Alpine Club and its members as Toronto Section board member and Section Representative, handling the relationship between the Toronto Section and the National office.
Taking inspiration from her paternal grandparents who took many trips across Canada in their van, Mylissa is currently working on a project to travel to all of the Canadian Provinces and Territories to learn about the country and its people. To make this journey her own, she plans to visit the highest point in each. This project, started in 2022, will take Mylissa to some of the most remote areas in the world: from the middle of the Cape Breton badlands, to the Canadian Arctic. The order of the destinations has been planned to allow Mylissa to gain the skills she needs to achieve her goal.
Mylissa is a genderfluid woman, and uses She/They pronouns interchangably.