'Amazing Race' Alum Glenda and Lumumba Roberts Are Expecting First Baby: 'It's a Miracle'
Sonja Flemming/CBS
"Baby Boom Boom" is officially on the way!
Amazing Race stars Glenda and Lumumba Roberts are expecting their first baby together, a daughter, this summer, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal.
Though the odds were stacked against them, the couple, both 42, conceived naturally — and hope their story of resiliency inspires other prospective parents.
"I feel like it's a miracle," says Glenda, who is now in her second trimester.
Glenda and Lumumba first met at church when they were each 39 years old. Neither had kids, but both were eager to start a family after they tied the knot.
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Courtesy of Glenda and Lumumba Roberts
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They tried for a baby before filming season 34 of the Race — where viewers were introduced to their dream of conceiving "Baby Boom Boom" — in mid-2022, and even more so after filming wrapped.
The couple was always wary of the obstacles before them, including Glenda's reproductive health history. At 26, Glenda underwent a myomectomy to have an 8 lb. tumor removed from her uterus. Afterward, she was adamant about keeping her reproductive organs.
"I knew I wanted to be a mom," Glenda tells PEOPLE. "I always knew I wanted to be a mom and wife."
The winter before competing on Race, Glenda was told she needed another surgery to remove 31 fibroids from her uterus.
Courtesy of Glenda and Lumumba Roberts
"I was very reluctant to do the surgery because I'm older, I had already had a major surgery on my uterus," she says. "I just didn't know if my uterus was strong enough to take another surgery and have a baby."
Glenda opted to move forward with the surgery but was unable to try and conceive for six months afterward. During that time, she and Lumumba trained for and competed on Race, placing seventh overall.
The couple reached another health hurdle upon returning home from the reality show when a fertility specialist informed them that Glenda's tubes were blocked. At the time, they were told in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was the only way they would be able to conceive.
A short time later, however, Glenda learned she had conceived naturally. It was a dream come true for both her and her husband.
"We were hopeful, and either way it happened, we were going to be grateful to have a healthy baby," Glenda says. "And so to have it naturally, we're just so grateful."
Courtesy of Glenda and Lumumba Roberts
Glenda and Lumumba first learned they were expecting in November, as their season of Race was coming to a close. Their doctor confirmed the good news when Glenda was about six weeks along.
Faith "played a huge part" in the Roberts' journey to parenthood, Glenda says. "We didn't have any backup. I never froze my eggs. We didn't have anything we could lean on other than our faith. That's all we had."
The couple has been documenting their pregnancy journey in a series on their YouTube channel, and hope their story inspires others like them.
"We want to encourage people that it's possible to have a natural conception in your 40s," Glenda says. "Don't think it's not possible."
"I know [our story] is going to touch somebody," adds Lumumba.
