Amanda Beard, Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record Holder, answers some questions about swimming - and life - that could help other swimmers. Amanda was on the US Olympic team in 1996 and 2000 - and is on the team again for 2004!
Did you know that Amanda is the second-youngest gold medalist in U.S. Swimming history? Only Pokey Watson was younger than Amanda, when in 1964 she won gold in the 400m free relay at 14 years and 96 days old. Just 32 years later, Beard won her first Olympic gold, helping Team USA to gold in the 400m medley relay at 14 years and 268 days old.
Without giving away anything that might put you at a competitive disadvantage: What are your swimming strengths? What are your swimming weaknesses? What do you do to work on the weaknesses and maintain or build upon the strengths? My swimming strengths are being able to hold onto my stroke for a long amount of time. A lot of people get tired and then let their stroke fall apart, I work very hard in practices to be able to keep my form. My weaknesses are definitely my turns, I am a better long course swimmer because there are lee turns so in work out I practice all the time in improving them.
In a more general "life" sense, what makes you a stronger person? In life I feel like my family has made me very strong, my parents raised me to be very independent and taught me to stand on my own two feet. I feel like they got me ready to be out in the "real world" at a young age.
When did you know you could achieve the level of success you have? When I was very young I always joked around that I was going to swim in the Olympics, but never really believed it till I was a little older, probably when I got my Olympic Trial cuts, then I was like, wow! I could actually do this.
What makes you want to succeed at swimming at the highest level - what drives you to want to be the best? I am a very very competitive person, no matter what I do, any sport, school, games I play with friends, anything. It is just in my blood, I always want to give it my all, I feel like things aren't worth doing if you are not passionate about it and put all of your focus on it.
What is the most difficult or challenging workout you have ever done,and do you want to do it again (or have you done it more than once)? I have this one workout I do were I do 18 X 100 Breastroke and they are all fast and all on a very fast interval. It is very tough, but it is one of my favorite sets to do.
When you are in the midst of a very challenging workout what goes through your head - what do you think about or tell yourself? What does your coach tell you? In the middle of my workout when I start to get real tired I try not to think about my body hurting or anything along those lines, thinking negative thoughts isn't going to make the workout easier or go by faster, I am very lucky to have some amazing coaches that keep workouts very laid back and fun.
Would you share a moment in your swimming career that was not fun (or did not feel like anything positive could come of it) when it happened, but looking back, taught you something that has helped make you a better swimmer? Well it is never fun when you have an injury, I have been fortunate enough to not have anything too serious, but I get my fair share of aches. Those are the times when you want to start giving up on yourself or thinking negative thoughts, if you can be mentally tough during those times, you can be mental tough through almost anything.
What's your favorite food? I love Mexican food.
What things do you think are important for swimmers to "be sure they do" in a workout or a meet (assuming these are things you always do, too)! At a meet or before a big workout eat something that will be light in your stomach, but will give you a lot of energy. Stretch a lot! and make sure you have fun.
Do you have anything else to share with our readers? I have grown a lot in the last couple of years, I have matured a lot and I understand things that go on around me better. When I was 14 and swimming at the Olympics I didn't understand what the fuss was all about, but now I see how amazing the Olympics are and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.
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