Kelly was born on December 8, 1980, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her family moved to a mini farm in Sterling, Alaska, when she was six years old. She returned to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for college, attending Cornerstone University for one semester before deciding it was not for her.
Career
Prior to her appointment as an Ice Road Trucker, Kelly worked as a school bus driver and motocross rider. She also worked at gas stations, and a pizza company and was a state freestyle motocross champion. After these ventures, she decided to settle on a long term-career and trained as a trucker because it 'looked interesting'. She subsequently got a job driving for Carlile Transportation, an Alaskan haulage company. Being a woman, Kelly says this was a difficult achievement. "I had to work twice as hard. I had to pull my weight and everybody else's and get the job done as fast, or faster";
TV appearances
Kelly is one of the truckers for the History Channel's Ice Road Truckers. She first appeared in season 3 in 2009, as the only woman. She subsequently took part in season 4 and season 5 and 7. She also took part in the History Channel's Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads along with Rick Yemm, Dave Redmon and Alex Debogorski trucking in the Himalayas in India; in a later season, she drove in Bolivia and Peru. Journalist Kaye O'Hara claims that Kelly was offered a contract to return to the show for season six, but she declined it. According to show's producer Kelly was taking a year off. Kelly returned in season 7, and on season 9, she was working in Darrell Ward's new company before his death following season 10. She is now just finished season 11.
Personal life
In 2008, Lisa married Traves Kelly, after dating him for four years. He is full AleutNative Alaskan and an avid dirtbiker. They have no children. Her hobbies include motocross, horse riding, skydiving, hang gliding and snowboarding. She owns a miniature horse, named Rocky and a cat named Tanzi. Prior to the filming of Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads in the Himalayas, Kelly had decided that she would find and carry around a puppy for the show. On the show she named this puppy Rampur Jackson, and the dog's feeding/watering on the road was primarily handled by her Indian helper, Tashi. The dog was given away to one of the show's producers upon completion of filming.
