Mel Olson was a military veteran of the Korean War earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with a "V" for Valor during the war. Mel attended Washington State University competing in football and swimming and completed his Master's Degree in 1955. Mel started his coaching career in 1955 at Chief Moses Junior High in Moses Lake, where he coaches wrestling for 20 years and football for 27 years. His football teams were 108-31 and wrestling teams were 123-12. Mel was a wrestling and football official from 1954 to 1963 and in 1958 started the Mat Muscle Kids Wrestling Program in Moses Lake. In 1962 he became the sports announcer for the KBSN Radio Station in Moses Lake. During 41 years he never missed a Moses Lake wrestling broadcast as "the Voice of the Chiefs." Olson has been awarded the Washington State Football Coaches Association Distinguished Service Award, the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Media Award and the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association "Joe Babbitt" Contributors Award. He was recognized in 2002 for his contributions to sports when he was inducted into the Moses Lake High School Hall of Fame. In his spare time he likes to water ski, snow ski, bike and sail with his first mate, his wife of 55 years, Vicki. They have two daughters and five grandsons.