Dancing with the Stars was a harrowing journey for Jane Seymour, who overcame the death of her mother, wildfires, food poisoning and a lift controversy before being eliminated during last night's live fifth-season results show broadcast.

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But the actress said her tough time in the competition will hopefully live on as inspiration for others.

"I'm just so grateful to Dancing with the Stars for so many things," said Seymour during a live Wednesday morning interview on ABC's Good Morning America with co-anchor Robin Roberts and news anchor Chris Cuomo.  "This is going to let other people out there in America realize that life's too short not to do new things you have a passion for."

At 56-years-old, Seymour was the oldest female celebrity participant to ever compete on Dancing with the Stars -- a fact she initially thought would hinder her chances.

"This was just an extraordinary gift.  First of all, no woman my age -- or remotely my age -- has ever done it," she said.  "Secondly, I don't think anyone -- including myself -- ever expected me to get through maybe the first dance.  I did nine dances!"

Seymour's greatest test came following Week 2's Monday night performance episode broadcast when she learned her 92-year-old mother Mieke Frankenberg died due to complications from a stroke she suffered earlier this year.

"My mom made me do this," said Seymour.  "My mom's an amazing survivor.  She survived concentration camp in World War II under the Japanese; she survived cancer; she survived losing my father... I mean a million things.  She had a stroke; she couldn't talk, couldn't move.  She somehow managed to say, 'Yes!' out loud when I told her I had been asked to do this... This was her absolute favorite show."

Seymour missed the next night's results show broadcast because she was in England with her family.  However she took her professional partner Tony Dovolani with her on the trip, and the two relentlessly practiced their upcoming tango routine for the next week of the competition.

"I came back and did it and kept thinking, 'Why am I even dancing?  This is crazy!'" recalled Seymour before remembering why she was competing in the first place.  "My mom just filled me.  This was her gift to me.  She wanted to give me something I wanted more than life itself when I was a little girl.  So I can only thank my mom for persuading me to do this."

One of the reasons Seymour gushed about having a "wonderful time" on Dancing with the Stars is because it taught her something she's wanted to learn her entire life.

"I now know that I have a passion for dance; dance is in my soul.  I cannot live without dance for the rest of my life," she said.  "I wanted to do dancing when I was a little girl, and I had not danced at all since I was 16-years-old.  Now I realize that I need to dance, and the affect that it had on my body is ridiculous!  I've never had this body!"

With a herniated disc and a fused spine to boot, Seymour believes Dancing with the Stars provided a worthy replacement for rehab.

"I was rehabbing three times a week with back injuries before I did Dancing with the Stars," she said.  "I've regenerated the musculature around my spine.  My back surgeon said, 'If anyone could see these MRIs they're not going to believe what you're doing out there.  It's unbelievable!'"

While her time on Dancing with the Stars may be over, Seymour's statements on Good Morning America illustrate she's obviously committed to keep dancing, and may have found a partner in one of her twin sons, who were "amazed" by mom's participation. 

"In the commercial breaks they let the audience come and dance," said Seymour.  "Apparently, my 11-year-old went out there and just danced amazingly.  The judges gave him three 10's.  So I think we have another dancer."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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