Watch coverage of EmpowHer's U.S. olympian Melanie Roach on "The Today Show." This extraordinary mother of three, one with autism, was followed for a day allowing you a glimpse into her life.

The adventure continues...

After the competition I joined up with Dan, Ethan, Bonnie (my mom), Pam (Dan's mom), Al (my assistant coach and teammate), Dr. Summers (my Chiropractor and massage therapist) and his wife LeAnne and son Sean for a wonderful dinner at the Bank of America "hometown hopefuls". Greg Bishop of the New York Times joined us as we reflected on the days events. His article made the front page of the sports page! Check it out...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/sports...

With the Olympics nearing an end, of course there has been controversy. I was interested in what people thought about the Chinese Gymnasts and the age controversy. I have been watching it pretty closely.

Now maybe because I am getting older, but I tend to notice that 16 year olds look more like 18-20 years olds and not younger. When I saw the pictures of the gymnasts from China, my first thought is, “there is no way these girls are 16 years old.”

I finished my last heavy workout yesterday. I'm not allowed to give numbers but it was a very good day. I have done all the hard work and now it is time to rest and get ready to compete. As of now there is only an A session for my weight class which is great news. There are only 10 women and no Chinese girl entered in my weight class. Again, great news.

The opening ceremonies will be at 8:08 p.m. on 08/08/08. You'll have to check the local channels for when they will show it. Beijing is 15 hours ahead of Seattle. I compete on the 10th at 3:30 p.m. Beijing time.

So, it's hard to believe that a mother of three would have time for anything let along training for the Olympics. But Melanie Roach, is on her way. She'll be competing in the weightlifting event and blogging from the Olympics for EmpowHer.com. I encourage you to follow her story.

To read her first entry, check out this link. http://empowher.com/news/kidneys-and-uri...

Also, be sure to cheer her on!

Yesterday while I was shopping for some last minute items for my trip to China I got a call from home asking for my EXACT location. Ellen from USADA was at my house and wanted to collect a urine sample. What are the odds of her coming to my house on the one day in months that I was anywhere but home, the gym or the Chiropractor? Anyhow, we decided to meet in the third floor "mother's lounge" in Nordstroms.

I just heard on NPR that yoga is trying to make its way into the 2020 Olympics! Some practitioners of Bikram yoga (the fast-paced yoga, where you sweat it out in a heated room) are creating a competitive-style of yoga, in which seven poses are performed within a few minutes for judging and perfection.

Business Owner and Mother of Three Gets Ready for Beijing

SUMNER, WA, JUNE 25, 2008-Last month, with 228.8 pounds pressed over her
5-foot 2-inch, 117-pound frame, Melanie Roach solidified the dream of a
lifetime. After earning her place on the women's U.S. Olympic weightlifting
team in Atlanta, Roach is poised to take on the world at the games in
Beijing.

As one of the strongest women on the planet it's no wonder that Roach has
gotten so far. After suffering the agony of a serious spine injury that
prevented her from participating in 2000 games in Sydney, her journey to the

08-08-08 is the magic date: when the Beijing Summer Olympics begins. There will be some gold medal moms headed that way, moms who have proven that they can have their families and still compete as elite athletes. They were probably watching Joan Benoit Samuelson, who just ran her last Boston Marathon and Olympic trials - at the age of 50! These Olympians, these moms, are incredible, and they're still pursuing their dreams with kids in tow.