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(Photo credit: Andrea Mead Cross)

Dara Torres

Women still aren't sure what "having it all" means. Is it a flourishing career? A large family? Is it a career AND kids? But what about the stress? You are a single mom with a toddler and you have one of the fittest bodies around. Do you think you have found what "having it all" means? Or are there still things that are missing?

I have fulfilled a lot of things in my life and my career but nothing has ever brought me as much happiness as my daughter. I love to keep busy and enjoy what I do but everything comes second to spending time with Tessa because that is when I feel like I “have it all”.

We hear all the time about how being a mom can be a disadvantage in terms of fitness, body image, "me" time and career. Tell us how it is an ADVANTAGE.

That’s a hard question to answer since my job is working out and being fit; I know that if I had a typical 9 to 5 job, I most likely would not be in the shape I’m in. Being a mom has been an advantage for me because it inspires me to do things that I didn’t believe I could do before I became a mom. When I decided to make my second comeback at 41 and was training for the 2008 Olympics, being a mom made me realize that being an athlete and making it to the Olympics is not the most important thing in life. Realizing that really helped take the pressure off at the time and continues to help me in stressful situations today.

Many female athletes lose their sponsorship money if they take a break to have a baby. Do you think this is fair? What did you sacrifice to have your daughter?

I think it’s unfair for female athletes to lose any momentum with their career if they plan to continue their sport after they have a baby. I never felt like I was sacrificing anything to have my daughter, probably because I had my daughter later in life and I know I got a lot of my selfishness out of the way.

Tell us about your new book - what inspired you to write it? Who is it geared toward?

Inspiration to write the book was from my fans asking me how I transformed my body. The book is for everyone whether they are workout fanatics that want new workouts, people trying to lose weight, or fans who want to learn more about an athlete's training regimen.

How has your mother made an impact on your life, from when you were growing up until now?

My mother is my idol; I hope to be half the mom that she is. My mom is sweet, determined, and hardworking. I believe those are some of the best qualities a mother can have.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I’m not sure; hopefully I’ll be in shape! I really live life one day at a time, I don’t think about the future too much.

Who is your favorite female athlete and why?

It’s hard to pick one female athlete because there are so many with lots of great attributes. Any athlete that has proven longevity in their sport is one that I admire.

Stay tuned, we will be giving away copies of Torres' new book Gold Medal Fitness very soon!

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• Olympics
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• Books
• SportsPLUS
• Family/Parenting
• Summer Games
• Aquatic

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• Mother's Day

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There is 1 comment on this post. Join the discussion!

tmhollins says:

Her body is amazing! I hope I look half as good at that age. Such an amazing athlete!

Friday, May 7, 2010 at 6:38pm EDT

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