Olympic sports Beard shares story of abuse, self-mutilation
Swimmer Amanda Beard, a seven-time Olympic medalist, is going for her fifth Summer Games at age 30. She’s a married mother of a 2-year-old son. Her life has changed dramatically since she made her Olympic debut as a 14-year-old in 1996.
Her book In the Water They Can’t See You Cry is on sale today and details a turbulent adolescence in the spotlight. She writes about how she struggled with bulimia, abused drugs and alcohol and started cutting herself with a razor. USA TODAY Sports’ Robert Klemko recently interviewed Beard: So why tell everything now? As someone who speaks to a lot of females and young athletes, I don’t feel like it’s fair to them to go around telling my story without being realistic and honest. I’m telling them life is a roller coaster and we will experience ups and downs. To what severity, we’ll differ. But you’re not alone ever in your life and other people are going through the things you are experiencing.
Are you nervous about the things that are going to come out about your life with the book’s release?
Anytime you let loose any sort of personal information about yourself, it’s a nerve-racking experience because you are being completely open and honest with people and they can interpret things however they want. Of course I’m nervous of how people are going to react. At the same time, it’s my life. That’s what I went through. Personal journey: Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard is opening up about her troubled childhood.
Have you overcome self-destructive behavior such as cutting and alcohol abuse, and, if so, when did you have that breakthrough?
It’s been a long time since I’ve done that stuff. I can’t say I ever had a breakthrough. It’s a life-long process of being happy and healthy.
-See a photo gallery of Beard’s career at olympics .usatoday.com