Athleti-mom and Olympic hopeful Melanie Roach is one tough cookie. The New York Times reports that the mom of three kids (one of whom is severely autistic) can lift 238 pounds over her head. Standing at 5'1'' and weighing in at 117 pounds, Melanie was set to try out for the 2000 Olympics when a herniated disc in her back ruined her chances.

But now she’s gearing up for 2008, with the help of her hubby, Washington state legislator Dan Roach. According to the Times, "From 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., Dan takes care of Drew (the couple's autistic son), when he often throws what the family calls parties, jumping on the bed, opening and shutting the bedroom door 20 times, breaking into fits of giggles.” Cheers to a supportive hubby and dad and good luck, Melanie, in the Summer Games—we’ll be rooting for you!

Printed from the Modern Mom website: www.modernmom.com - on December 05, 2008
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