I'd go to swim practice, put my face in the water, and I didn't have to talk to anybody. Swimming was like my escape, but it was also like this huge prison because I felt like I had to swim up to people's standards.

Olympic Swim Trials Amanda Beard qualified to participate in four events at the Athens games and broke the world record in the 200 m breaststroke. 30). In Beijing Beard failed to reach the semifinals in the 200 meter breaststroke placing 18th in the preliminaries.

She has won a total of twenty-one medals in major international competition five gold thirteen silver and three bronze spanning the Olympics the World Championships the Pan Pacific Championships and the Summer Universiade. Amanda Ray Beard (born October 29 1981) is an American swimmer and a seven-time Olympic medalist (two gold four silver one bronze). She is a former world record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke (long course).