'Whatever difference we have on the outside, we're the same on the inside'

"They were simple, practical Midwestern people," she said. "I had to manage on my own."

Roloff learned to play the clarinet, holding the instrument in an unorthodox position so her arms could reach the keys. She couldn't play and march in parades at the same time, so she faked it by marching only, she said.


"I had to march double time because of my short legs," she said.

Roloff learned to play sports and competed in the Dwarf Athletic Association of America events. She also became a soccer coach.

Roloff and her husband, Matt, who also is a little person, have four children, including a set of fraternal twin boys. Zachary is a little person, and Jeremy is average height.

Their family home is a pumpkin farm in Oregon that became the stage for their show on the TLC network that lasted six seasons and ended in December.

Camera crews followed family members during their everyday lives.

"Whatever difference we have on the outside, we're the same on the inside," Roloff said. "We raise our families, fight and yell just like any family."

Dozens of audience members raised hands Wednesday when Roloff asked if they watched the show.

Her interest and participation in sports, competing against those with similar capabilities, taught her to push beyond her own boundaries, she said.

She sees the same qualities in her son, Zachary. Because of his size, "he had to know every position to prove that he was capable of being on the team," she said.

To play against average-sized players, he had to "play harder, run faster and have more endurance," she said.