Life in the fast lane

Melissa and J.D. Gibbs in the Oval Office with President George W. Bush Photo contributed by the White House and Joe Gibbs Racing

Spring Valley graduate Melissa Miller Gibbs has opened the New York Stock Exchange, met the President of the United States in the Oval Office, been on the set of the Today Show , attended several Super Bowls, and been to places she never dreamed she would go. Being the first lady of one of the most successful teams in NASCAR, Joe Gibbs Racing, definitely has its privileges.

Melissa Gibbs fell for her husband, J.D., when they were both 12-years-old, and their families were living in Virginia. Gibbs is the son of Joe Gibbs, a three- time Super Bowl champion, Winston and Nextel Cup champion, and current coach of the Washington Redskins.

The young romance faded when Melissa’s family moved to Columbia, and life moved on. During her senior year at Spring Valley High School, Melissa met up with her adolescent boyfriend again while on a college tour. As time went on, life’s unusual circumstances kept bringing the couple back together, and on November 27, 1993, they were married. Since then,Melissa Gibbs has been living life in the fast lane.

When the Gibbs were first married, J.D. worked on the pit crew for one of the Joe Gibbs Racing team’s cars. As time went on, the Gibbs’ family grew and J.D. moved up through the ranks to gain the experience necessary to run the team his father had started.

Today, J.D. is team president of Joe Gibbs Racing, and he and Melissa are the parents of four young boys. The Gibbs juggle schedules at a pace that would rival some of the fastest drivers on the NASCAR circuit. In addition to working and raising their children, the Gibbs make it a priority to share a very important part of their lives, their Christian faith. Both serve on the boards of Young Life and Motor Racing Outreach, an organization designed to help drivers and their families deal with life on the track every Sunday. The Gibbs choose to volunteer for organizations that are clear and natural fits in their fast paced lives.

Melissa makes use of her formal education, which includes an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. She works part-time as a social worker with Lutheran Family Services, an organization that helps place adoptive children and parents together. The hours fit her circumstances and enable her to be a full time mother while maintaining a professional life in the happiest of ways.

Schedules are full, and the pace can be frenetic, but the Gibbs always make time for family despite arranging their lives around the longest season in sport. NASCAR begins in mid-February and ends mid-November each year. Holidays and vacations are a bit different than they used to be but are remembered and honored just the same.

Melissa maintains close ties to Columbia through a close relationship with her parents and her sister’s family, both of whom live in the northeast area of town. When all is said and done, the Gibbs know their biggest blessings lie not in their amazing trips or adventures, but with their family.