In her memoir, In the Water They Can't SEe You Cry, Amanda Beard shares her love for the sport of swimming as well as the daily struggles she faced over the years.Winning her first two medals at fourteen, Amanda struggled in highschool to regain her competitive edge.
Feeling inadequate, despite her early success, Amanda continues to spiral downward. Her boyfriend who is also a swimmer turns out to jealous and possessive.
Unable to find a love or obliterate what she calls a "negative loop," she turns to cutting, bulimia, drugs, and alcohol. Despite all of this, she still manages to do well at the next Olympics.
The memoir shines when Amanda finds her way back from the abyss. She finds a way to balance professional swimming with her new family obligations--a husband and baby.
By coming forward, she also believes she is helping other women in the sport who suffer from some of the same body image problems. Unfortunately, she just skims over her dyslexia and does not address that fully.
Written in a honest and engaging style, this book is a must read for all who enjoy competitive swimming; its also a must read for those who enjoy a good comeback story.
