Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Our choice for December is Alexandra Powe Allred: bobsledder, kickboxer, author and mother of three.

Is your life busy? Former world-class bobsledder Alexandra Powe Allred is promoting her new book Entering the Mother Zone: Balancing Self, Health and Family, writing two new books, penning a monthly newspaper column and teaching kickboxing. And that's in between mothering her daughters, ages 5 and 7, and repairing the havoc wreaked by her 17-month-old tornado son. "Half our furniture is in the garage," she laughs. "Tommy likes to tip things over." Most days she works from home. After conquering mountains -- both literally and figuratively -- as a bobsledder, home is exactly where she wants to be.

An illustrious career competing on the first women's bobsled team didn't stop Allred from realizing that her family needed her at home. "A teammate of mine that never cries -- picture Xena Warrior Princess -- was sobbing after a bobsledding injury prevented her from holding her baby," she says. Allred started worrying about injuries. "If I break something, how will I care for my kids?" she wondered. Shortly thereafter, the bobsledding circuit required traveling from November until March. "I knew I couldn't do that to my family," says Allred.

Bobsledding was a rush for her, seeing fans lining the tracks, her name in lights and the challenge of a glimmering track beaconing. But as she competed, Allred kept thinking, "This is exciting, but what will be really fun is telling my family about it when I get home!" She decided to retire. "I am happy about my decision," says Allred. "I accomplished my bobsledding goals and can't wait to cheer for the first female bobsled team in the 2002 Olympics."

Allred's new book contains that same enthusiasm. "Women are amazing! We can do so much," she says. "But first we have to take care of ourselves." Her book includes information on training while pregnant and advice on breastfeeding, scheduling, diet during and after pregnancy, getting back into shape after delivery and coping with changes. The book includes advice and tips from more than 100 celebrity and athlete moms, including Heather Locklear, Jodi Foster and Mary Lou Retton. Allred hopes her book will inspire moms to lead healthier lives.

She wrote the book after struggling with questions about athletic training while breastfeeding, and later, concerns with pregnancy and possible exercise limitations. Dr. James Clapp, a pregnancy and fitness expert, helped her work out a safe, healthy training program when she became pregnant while on the U.S. bobsled team.

After retiring from bobsledding, Allred used these principles to safely teach kickboxing until two weeks before delivering her third child. "We'd do 500 to 800 kicks per hour. My class would say, 'If you can do it we can, too.' But they still called me 'The Queen of Mean,'" she says, laughing.

High-energy Allred considers teaching kickboxing "me" time. "I'm up there alone and doing something for myself -- with no requests for juice," she jokes. "I think that Mommy time makes you feel more level and patient. It's an important outlet." Physical activity energizes Allred and she recommends that women use exercise to revitalize.

"Women who don't like to exercise just haven't found their sport," she explains. "There's a physical activity that everyone can enjoy, even if it's bowling or pushing a baby around the block in a stroller. When you find your passion you'll be a healthier, happier mom." But what about fitting exercise time into busy schedules? "Find something that you love and you'll find the time," she says. One of the moms in her book, Michelle Pfeiffer, gets up at 4 a.m. to exercise.

Allred eats healthy food, kickboxes, bikes and hits the gym to keep in shape and to set a good example for her kids. "In today's fast food world, kids are eating more and doing less," she says. "Moms need to eat healthy and keep active so their kids will, too." Allred's kids participate in karate, soccer and dance. Once Allred performed important research for an upcoming book while in the car waiting for her daughter's dance class to end.

Balancing work and family life can be tricky, Allred admits. "I found that I was being asked to do so much all of the time that I started getting a chip on my shoulder," she explains. To master her chaotic schedule, she listed all of her duties, even laundry -- which she says really piles up with three active kids and her husband -- and she scheduled a time for everything. "Once I knew exactly what I had to do and when, I felt better," she says. She finds time to work while her son naps and after the kids go to bed. Still, she jokes about sometimes feeling like she's a day behind in everything.

Allred is fiercely proud of her kids. "The other day we were in a store and a stranger said, 'What polite kids you have.' It made me feel great!" she says. Raising nice, polite, healthy kids is important to her. She makes time to actively play with them. Her kids recently talked her into playing freeze tag. "Freeze tag is like doing 45 minutes of sprint intervals," says Allred. "I felt like I was hit by something. But my son, of course, was ready to play again right away."

Obviously, Allred could only marry a sports fan -- and she did. The busy couple rarely finds alone time, but Allred's favorite activity is watching her husband watch their girls play soccer.

From the bobsled track to kickboxing class to the soccer field, Allred's energetic attitude inspires those around her to jump out of the armchair and "just do it." This writer slammed down her remote control and hit the exercise bike five minutes after talking with her.