Missy Giove

Missy Giove (Melissa) is a former professional downhill mountain biker, among the most successful in the world, male or female. Her nickname is The Missile. She is openly lesbian.

Giove was one of mountain-bike racing's first mainstream female superstars, did some ads for Reebok, and is the all-time leader in NORBA downhill wins with 14, and is second on the World Cup list with 11. Giove's other accomplishments include three overall NORBA downhill crowns, two World Cup overalls, and the 1994 world championship title.

She announced her retirement from full-time racing in August 2003, and in March 2004, she appeared in an episode of the cartoon Rocket Power titled "Missile Crisis" (the title referring to her nickname), giving one of the characters a compliment.

Giove was famous for wearing a dried piranha fish on a necklace when racing. Her deceased pet, it was named Gonzo.