Amanda Beard

About Amanda Beard

Amanda Beard carved a remarkable path through the worlds of competitive swimming and modeling, amassing an impressive collection of seven Olympic medals: two gold, four silver, and one bronze. Her Olympic journey commenced at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. Remarkably, at just fourteen years old, she secured one gold and two silver medals, earning her a place as the second youngest Olympic medalist in American swimming history. During this time, she was often photographed with her cherished teddy bear, even during medal ceremonies. The 2000 Sydney Olympics saw Beard add a bronze medal to her tally in the 200m breaststroke. While a student at the University of Arizona, she achieved an individual NCAA Division I championship in 2001. Her dominance in the 200m breaststroke continued as she set the American record in 2003 and then the world record at the 2004 US Olympic trials. At the Athens Olympics that same year, she captured one gold and two silver medals. She qualified for her fourth consecutive Olympic Games in 2008, sharing captain duties for the US women's swimming team with Dana Torres and Natalie Coughlin, though she did not secure any medals that year. After a period of retirement, Beard attempted a comeback in 2010 but ultimately did not qualify for the 2012 Olympic team, finishing fifth in the 200m breaststroke at the trials.

Beyond the pool, Beard also ventured into modeling. Her career in this arena includes features in FHM magazine, the 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and the July 2007 issue of Playboy. In November 2007, she appeared in a notable GoDaddy commercial titled "Shock," where she showcased her seven Olympic medals. In 2008, she lent her voice and image to an anti-fur campaign for PETA, posing nude while covering her breasts and not exposing her nipples. Her television appearances include a 2014 episode of Celebrity Wife Swap, where she traded lives with Heidi Montag. During her time at the University of Arizona, Beard grappled with bulimia nervosa, a struggle stemming from the pressure of constant swimsuit photography and the retouching of her images. In 2012, she shared her personal story in her autobiography, In the Water They Can't See You Cry: A Memoir.