There was an interesting article in today’s USA Today about 37-year old Amy Acuff who will be making her fifth appearance in the Olympics. According to the article, “At 37, the high jumper says she feels better than ever. She retired after the 2009 world championships and gave birth to her daughter, Elsa, who is now 2. ‘It’s kind of a poorly kept secret that a lot of times after you have a baby you actually come back better than before,’ says Acuff, a six-time outdoor national champion. ‘I don’t know exactly why that is.’” I think I can shed some light on this for you, Amy. There’s a high correlation between an athlete’s feelings of self-worth (self-esteem) and performance. And having a baby not only enhances the mother’s self-esteem, but she’s also happy and her life is in harmony. it would not be surprising to see Amy bring home the gold.