A Daily Dose of Perspective with Olympian Amanda Beard

So excited to share with you the newest series on Diary of a Guy's Girl called A Daily Dose of Perspective.

A Daily Dose of Perspective is a collaboration of interviews I have conducted with a select few individuals that are incredible people - inside and out. These are the people in society that continue to inspire, motivate and empower all of us to do better and be more with ourselves.

I felt their perspectives on different subjects would be not only eye opening but also influencial - as we can take some of their advice and incorporate it into our daily lives. These people are not perfect - nor do they intend to be. They have all had something that they have had to deal with - but the way they were able to overcome adversity in whatever aspect of their life it was they managed to get through it gracefully. And most importantly, when things got rough they never gave in - they kept going.

Amanda and I first met in San Diego in 2013 at Augies Bash (A charity gala that benefits people who are affected with ALS). You know when you meet someone and you have felt like you have known them your entire life? That's exactly what it felt like when I met her. Amanda and I are also both Nustep embassadors - which really bonded our friendship. She is extremely kind, passionate and obviously an incredible athlete. As Amanda and my struggles are extremely different in so many ways, I still like to think of Amanda as the physical olympian and me the mental olympian. We have both gone through a lot of stuff in our lives yet we still continue to make goals and achieve them. Sometimes in life, we are blinded by our own problems - we cannot see past our own roadblocks. But her friendship means a lot to me and having someone like her as a friend has not only inspired me but made me look at life in a different way.

To kick off the series, we start with USA Olympic Swimmer and my friend, Amanda Beard.

Well start off with a little background about Amanda. Amanda is a 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). Her success has earned her the American Swimmer of the Year Award twice. 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.

Fun Fact: At 14 years old, Amanda Beard's breaststroke abilities took her to the Olympic trials, where she carried her teddy bear, "Harold," with her. She made the 1996 Olympic team and went on to win three medals in Atlanta: silvers in the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes, and gold for a relay race. Beard was the second-youngest U.S. medalist in swimming at the time.

So yeah, you could say she's like REALLY talented.

But what might of seemed like perfection on the outside was a constant personal struggle on the inside. Amanda released an autobiography on April 3, 2012, entitled In the Water They Can't See You Cry: A Memoir. She explains the title’s significance as the sensation of putting her face in the water while swimming to hide any tears she shed into her goggles. The book cites her parents’ divorce at the age of 12 as the beginning of her personal struggles, as well as a perfectionist nature. Within the memoir, she explains her personal struggles with self-mutilation and depression.

But let's let you hear it from her....

*Describe yourself in one word.

Passionate

*What are your fav things to do?

Some of my favorite are simply hanging with my family.

I love swimming (obvi), paddle boarding, wake surfing, riding dirt bikes, traveling, food!

All of the above are better when my kiddos join me!

What was the hardest thing you've had to overcome in your life thus far?

Learning how to accept myself for who I am. I think it's hard to love yourself unconditionally no matter what. We tend to be really tough on ourselves instead of accepting who we are and embracing that. I for sure had a really hard time coming to grips with falling on my face and learning how to get back up.

What is your biggest physical accomplishment?

Having my kids!

While swimming is very physically tough it was easy to train, being a mom and carrying your child for 40 weeks is a whole different experience and accomplishment.

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten? and from who?

My swim coach Frank Busch used to tell me to "leave it all in the pool" meaning when you get out of the water or anything you do in life don't have regrets. Trust that you gave it your all in that moment of your life.

What do you think is the most important personality trait in a person?

Humor! If you can't laugh at yourself and enjoy life it will pass you by!

How do you handle stress and pressure?

Haha. Very differently all the time. Sometimes stress motivates me and pushes me and sometimes it can emotionally break me. I will over think things too much instead of just tackling the challenge at hand.

What/who motivates you?

Family and friends motivate me.

I find motivation in the people around me. Like you Natalie!

How do you evaluate success?

Success to me is always moving forward and learning. It can't be measured by awards but measured by life experiences.

What is one of your pet peeves?

Lying.

I hate it and it totally bugs me.

Describe a situation in which you overcame a difficult problem. How did you do it?

It takes a big person to take the high road it situations with people you come in conflict with. Being a kind person and continuing with your life is usually the best option. Surround yourself with like minded people.

Name three famous people you admire and why?

1. James Dean.

Simply because he's gorgeous. Haha

2. Summer Sanders.

She was my swimming idol forever and I continue to admire her for everything she has done in and out of the pool.

3. My mom and Dad.

How can you not admire them and to me they are famous!

What advice would you give someone chasing a dream that they thought was out of their reach?

Nothing is out of anyone's reach its how you approach things.

Set realistic goals and be willing to sacrifice a lot along the way.

When I thought of writing this series - I immediately thought of Amanda. Besides the fact she is one of the best athletes the olympic sport of Swimming has ever seen - her spirit, drive and motivation to help others achieve their ultimate potential is incredible.

I hope what you take out of this article, Olympian or not, is that no matter what you're going through, you will get through it and you will continue to do incredible things in your life.