Outstanding Olympians: Inspirational Medal-Winning Moms
August 28, 2008

If you were born with two left feet and all the grace of a baby elephant, you may have been totally awestruck by some of the phenomenal performances you witnessed in the Beijing Olympics. Michael Phelps has dominated the headlines, but the sheer amount of women with children who have graced the podium has been inspiring.  

The term "medal-winning mom" is somewhat of an oxymoron to many, but perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. After all, we moms are arguably the most all-enduring, well-rounded athletes on the planet. We sprint after our toddlers in the shopping malls and regularly go through family-made obstacles courses throughout the house carrying huge mounds of laundry. Just in case you were watching the Olympics at night with your eyes half-closed, here are some of the amazing moms who made the Olympic torch shine a little bit brighter. 

Dara Torres - Though Dara was already a four-time Olympian prior to giving birth to her daughter, she claims she got back into swimming afterwards to lose her baby belly. She accomplished this aim in style, and won three Olympic silver medals in a variety of pool disciplines in the process; all at the ripe old age of 41.  

Brenda Shinn - This 46 year-old gun-toting wonder-woman  competed in her first Olympics in Beijing. Not only is she the mother of a 21 year-old, she also works as a Lieutenant with the Jurupa Valley Patrol Station. She competed in the air-pistol discipline. 

Lisa Leslie - This full-time mother of baby Lauren, and three-time Olympic gold medal winner is one of the hottest WNBA stars on the planet. Though being 6'5 sure boosts your basket-making potential, this incredible athlete juggles babies and basketballs with amazing success. 

Melanie Roach - This Olympic strongwoman carries a great deal of weight on her shoulders. She has threesmall children (one with autism), all under the age of 6, manages to run a 500+ student gymnastics training facility full-time, and is also one of the most decorated weightlifters on the planet.

It is true that not all of us were built to swim like a fish, glide across the balance beam, or run a four minute mile. In fact, the great majority of us will only ever see the Olympic podium from the comfort of either the sofa or the stands. But just the knowledge that fellow mothers are "swifter, higher, and stronger" may give you the motivation required to run an extra mile at the gym tomorrow. Well, maybe...