U.S. Weightlifting Team member Melanie Roach continues her quest for the 2008 Olympics on March 2 at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Ohio.

Over 40 competitors will compete for just 15 spots on the World Team that will compete in Chiang Mai, Thailand in September.

The top seven women will compete in Chiang Mai. Roach is currently ranked #4 on her way to making the 2008 Olympic Team. The U.S. is expected to have only four Olympic team slots for the women's team.

Roach competes in Olympic style weightlifting, which includes the snatch and the clean and jerk. Roach, owner of Roach Gymnastics, which has provided the gymnastics instruction for the Federal Way Parks Department for the last 10 years, was a shoe in for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney Australia.

Unfortunately, Roach injured her back just eight weeks prior to the Olympic Trials.

"One of the most difficult days in my life was at the 2000 Olympic Trials. Watching my teammates battle it out for the four Olympic team slots was torture to say the least. I didn't even watch the Olympics that year."

Roach returned to competition after a five-year hiatus to start a family with husband, State Representative Dan Roach.

Only four weeks after her third child was born, she went to her husband and said she wanted to make a come back.

Dan didn't hesitate and they quickly went to work reorganizing their schedules so Melanie could resume training. Melanie was already running their gymnastics gym, caring for their three children and was in charge of organizing several days of therapy for their autistic son.

In August 2005, they made the commitment to make the 2008 Olympic team and hired a manager to manage their gymnastics facility in Sumner.

After only eight months of training, Roach made her comeback debut at the Pan Am Qualifier, where she lifted her way back on to the National Team.

Even though she did well enough make the National Team she was still battling her low back injury from 2000.

"There were several times I was ready to quit due to the tremendous pain. I would go days where I couldn't stand up straight. I could barely hold my own body weight let alone lift weights," she said.

Roach took home the bronze medal at the Pan Am Championships in Guatemala in May 2006, and went on to win her 6th National Championships in August and placed 12th at the 2006 World Championships. Following the World Championships after consulting several spine specialists Roach had microdiscetomy back surgery to remove the chips of bone imbedded in her nerve.

"Older, and hopefully wiser, I have a better perspective now versus when I was in my early 20's, I realize it's a privilege to do what I'm doing in representing Team USA. I appreciate it so much more! I have a great deal of support from my husband, family, friends and our staff at Roach Gymnastics."

"I have a phenomenal coach to whom I owe a great deal," she said.

John Thrush is the coach of the Calpian Weightlifting Club in Sumner and was the 2006 Pan Am and World Team Coach.

"With such a support structure in place, I know I have all the tools to make the 2008 Olympic Team. This is a once in a life time opportunity and I'm going to make the best of it," Roach said.