Light the Torch – Beijing Olympics and Other Olympic News

Olympic Moms

by Sandy Mitchell on August 15th, 2008

A lot has been made of Dara Torres being the mother of two-year-old Tessa, but Torres is far from the only 2008 Olympian who is also a mom. No longer do Olympic dreams have to end with motherhood. Just ask these women:

American Melanie Roach is a 33-year-old mother of three. She’s also a world-class weightlifter. Roach finished in sixth place in the 83kg weightlifting class in Beijing.

Jennie Finch, 27, is the pitcher of the defending Gold Medal Team USA softball team. She’s also the proud mother of two-year-old, Ace.

Oksana Chusovitina credits her Olympic experience with saving her son’s life. Chusovitina is a native of Uzbekistan and competed in gymnastics for that country and the Soviet Union before deunification. She had retired when her son, Alisher was diagnosed with leukemia. Unable to get adequate care for him at home, she turns to a former coach in Germany. The family moved there and Chusovitina became interested again in gymnastics…so much so that the 33-year-old represented Germany in the Beijing Olympics, competing with girls half her age. And her son: his leukemia is in remission.

Christie Rampone, 33, is the captain of the US women’s soccer team and helped that team win Silver in Sydney and Gold in Athens. She’s also the mother of two-year-old, Rylie.

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POSTED IN: Beijing 2008, Olympians, Softball, weight-lifting