By Kate Smarjesse, Swimming World College Intern
Amanda Beard bravely addresses how she powered through many swimmers’ biggest insecurities in her book, “In the Water They Can’t See You Cry”. Although our weaknesses vary from one person to another, we all have things that we are constantly trying to improve– be it a certain stoke, start, flip turn, nutrition, or attitude.
Many people know Beard because of her swimming success. She was a one of the top swimmers in the nation from a very early age. She walks readers through her childhood years, through the joys and misery she experienced while in and out of the pool. Beard became the second youngest Olympic medalist in American swimming history at the 1996 Atlanta Games. She won a gold and two silvers at the age of 14, but life wasn’t perfect in the midst of success.
One of the most rewarding parts of this book is how easy it is for swimmers to relate to her life. She details what being on an Olympic Team is truly like, along with how she fought her way through difficult times.
Beard does not embellish her life. In fact, she shares many personal stories. From her parent’s sudden divorce when she was a young girl, to how she overcame her body changes as a teen. When Amanda was in late grade school through the beginning of high school, she had lost her love for swimming because of different physiological changes. As a teen girl, appearance is everything and when her appearance suddenly started to change she found herself not loving her body anymore. This directly affected her performance in the pool and she decided it was time for her to quit swimming.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
This part of the book put many different aspects of swimming into perspective for me. Swimming as a sport takes a toll on your mind, body, and emotions. Growing up in a time where how you appear in a swimsuit is more important than how fast you can swim in the water turns many great athletes away. For a brief time, Amanda was one of them. As a young adult, I still find myself worrying about my physical appearance and although it is important to stay healthy, it should not stop you from doing what you love.
Amanda’s life story makes her seem like one of us, just with a few more Olympic medals. The struggles she shares in this book are relatable to all swimmers, but especially teen girls. I wish that I would have read this book when I was entering high school because, like her, that’s when I lost my love for the sport.
Learning how she found motivation again and realized that she no longer wanted her insecurities to own her life helped me realize that there is more to swimming than moving your arms and kicking your feet. You have to swim for yourself and have purpose behind your strokes.
“When you read Amanda Beard’s story it can give all women and teens something to relate to,” San Diego State University swimmer Rachel Kelch stated. “Her story is moving and encouraging to young swimmers transitioning into collegiate level swimming. I loved the book and her story. She inspired me to be a better swimmer, teammate, and person.”
I encourage all teen girls to read this book, whether you are a competitive swimmer or not. Beard’s words allow you to think about your insecurities and realize they should not be insecurities in the first place. Hearing that an Olympic legend has struggled with the same challenges we have inspires us to persevere and fight to become the best version of ourselves.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick