 Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the
1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at the age of 14, while a student at Irvine High
School in Irvine, California. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and
200-meter breaststrokes, and gold in the medley relay. Her young-teen manner
captured the attention of the media, and she was often photographed clutching
her teddy bear, even on the medal stand. She won a bronze medal in the 200-meter
breaststroke at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Amanda attended the University of
Arizona where she captured an individual NCAA National Championship in 2001. In
2003 she became the world champion and world record holder in the 200-meter
breaststroke. She also made a good showing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials,
and she competed in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, where she won a gold medal in
the 200-meter breaststroke, her first individual gold medal. She also won a
silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley, and she finished fourth in the
100-meter breaststroke. Beard has won eight United States titles (thrice in both
the 200m breaststroke and the 100m breaststroke, plus twice in the 200m
individual medley). She was first in a world ranking of 200m breaststrokers in
2003.
Not only did her swimming expertise get her noticed but her other endeavors were
well observed. Amanda was named the hottest female athlete in the world by FHM
magazine in 2006. She was also on the cover of FHM, Sports Illustrated, Hers
Magazine and been featured in many others. She is interested in a variety of
areas and hopes own her own high-end boutiques eventually and continue to fight
for saving wildlife.
There is no limit to Amanda’s future. She is now one of the most sought after
endorsers in the Olympic Movement. She works with Speedo, Red Bull, Oroweat, and
many others. She spends much of her time doing appearances for her Olympic
Sponsors and doing speaking engagements for Breast Cancer awareness. Amanda has
a variety of expertise on many diverse issues including Women’s Issues, the
Olympics, Perseverance, Health and Fitness, Breast Cancer Awareness, Fashion and
Style. She is currently training for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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