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14th out of 46 books
—
99 voters
In the Water They Can't See You Cry: A Memoir
In this candid and ultimately uplifting memoir, Olympic medalist Amanda Beard reveals the truth about coming of age in the spotlight, the demons she battled along the way, and the newfound happiness that has proved to be her greatest victory. At the tender age of fourteen, Amanda Beard walked onto the pool deck at the Atlanta Olympics carrying her teddy bear, Harold, and l...more
Hardcover, 248 pages
Published
April 3rd 2012
by Touchstone
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This is a look into the life of a four time Olympic Athlete. She really bares her soul, and the pain of growing up with a Learning Disability. At first she seems to keep her inner demons under control, and is a fish in the water. We journey with her through all aspects of her life, some good and some so very hard. We go with her through her difficult High School experience, suffering from a type of Dyslexia, and getting relief and achievement in the pool.
I loved how her Dad seem to cherish her,...more
I loved how her Dad seem to cherish her,...more
I wrote an essay about how Amanda Beard was my hero in fifth grade. I wanted to be just like her; dominating the Olympics at the age of fourteen as a breaststroker. And reading this book now, I have something else to admire her for. She is an inspiration to anyone who's battled inner demons or who has suffered the early monring stress of being a swimmer. (Role models don't get any better than that!)
Apr 29, 2013
Rosie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biographies,
non-fiction
One of these days, I am going to have to admit to myself that I love celebrity biographies.
I was not expecting much from this book. I really wanted to just hear about how it was possible for an Olympic athlete to be both bulimic and a cutter. I'd heard her talk about this book on morning shows and wondered about her story. How does someone maintain the physical abilities needed to be a world-class athlete with those disorders?
I was shocked to find many, many ways I identified with Amanda Beard....more
I was not expecting much from this book. I really wanted to just hear about how it was possible for an Olympic athlete to be both bulimic and a cutter. I'd heard her talk about this book on morning shows and wondered about her story. How does someone maintain the physical abilities needed to be a world-class athlete with those disorders?
I was shocked to find many, many ways I identified with Amanda Beard....more
This book made me very sad to read. Amanda, an Olympic swimmer and winner of several medals in her 5 appearances in the games, writes candidly about her life and struggles. The same intensity which drove her to win in the pool also drove her reckless lifestyle as a self-proclaimed "adrenalin junkie." She is frank about her drug and alcohol use, unhealthy/dysfunctional relationships with family members and lovers, body image issues, bulimia, cutting, and depression. Anyone who has struggled with...more
The memoir of Amanda Beard is a page turner and while it was completely open and honest I still felt distance from her. Almost as if she fears what the reader will think. She let us in but, I felt she was still holding back. This is also how she lived day to day never one to talk out her issues. Finally in the end (the last few chapters) you can almost see the wall come down as she heals.
Amazing that you can appear to have it all and have nothing at the same time. Be such a likeable person but...more
Amazing that you can appear to have it all and have nothing at the same time. Be such a likeable person but...more
“All swimming meets are boring. Even the Olympics,” says Amanda Beard in her recently released memoir “In the Water They Can’t See You Cry.” While Beard does recount her experiences at four past Summer Olympics, the main part of this compelling book is about her struggles with cutting and bulimia. I had intended only to skim the book as I reviewed it for this column; however her story of struggling and overcoming is so engaging I looked up two hours later having read the entire book! As a child...more
Let me say this, I didn't know how messed up Amanda Beard was. Really, I mean that as a compliment. Because from my view as a fan (and a person who interviewed and met her once) she seemed perfect, charmed and slightly aloof. This was a powerful memoir of a female athlete who had success early and sustained it, but with difficulty. She reveals her inner demons, mostly in the form of self-doubt and body issues. I never would have thought that the famed and celebrated Olympic swimmer who posed in...more
“in the water they can’t see you cry” by Amanda Beard with Rebecca Paley, published by Touchstone Books.
Category – Memoir
Most of us remember Amanda Beard from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She was the cute fourteen year old who won two silver medals and one gold medal.
None of us were aware of what it took for her to get there and the consequences that plagued her due to her youth and notoriety.
Amanda was just having fun in 1996, but that all turned dark when she became a fourteen year old celebrity...more
Category – Memoir
Most of us remember Amanda Beard from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She was the cute fourteen year old who won two silver medals and one gold medal.
None of us were aware of what it took for her to get there and the consequences that plagued her due to her youth and notoriety.
Amanda was just having fun in 1996, but that all turned dark when she became a fourteen year old celebrity...more
Very quick read about the life of a four-time Olympic swimmer. I will start by saying that I was maybe a tiny bit disappointed because I thought it was going to be more about training and competing at a high level but it felt like there was more about boyfriends than anything else. The swimming details are great and there's a lot of insight into that part of Beard's life, so don't get me wrong, and obviously her boyfriends were a big part of her life, I know swimming isn't everything. But someth...more
Amanda Beard's memoir of her life in, and out, of a swimming pool is one that I feel all adolescent females (and males, for that matter) should take time to read. She shares her struggles with body image, abusive relationships, and depression, becoming a role model and voice for those who are suffering from the same issues and scared to reach out. Although from our couches and computer chairs she seemed to live a perfect life, much more was going on under the surface. It was eye opening to learn...more
The great thing about this story is that you could apply the lessons fairly broadly. At it's heart, it's a very psychological memoir, with Amanda digging into what her emotions were along the way during these events in her life.
The big lessons so far:
1. It doesn't matter how big your successes are in the eyes of other people, there's always pressure to be better.
2. If you don't have an internal anchor of self-worth, all the approval in the world doesn't matter, and lack of it is shattering.
3....more
The big lessons so far:
1. It doesn't matter how big your successes are in the eyes of other people, there's always pressure to be better.
2. If you don't have an internal anchor of self-worth, all the approval in the world doesn't matter, and lack of it is shattering.
3....more
I picked out this book to read because I vaguely remembered who Amanda Beard was and I really liked the title of the book.
After reading the book, I have to say that my image of world-class athletes was reinforced by both this book and other past memoirs I have read. To reach the level of success Amanda has reached, you have to expect some rough spots and if you do not have a "net" of supportive, loving people immediately at your side, you can very easily go down the wrong roads.
I appreciated Ama...more
After reading the book, I have to say that my image of world-class athletes was reinforced by both this book and other past memoirs I have read. To reach the level of success Amanda has reached, you have to expect some rough spots and if you do not have a "net" of supportive, loving people immediately at your side, you can very easily go down the wrong roads.
I appreciated Ama...more
I'm an Olympic junkie, and swimming is one of my favorite events. So I was familiar with Amanda Beard from watching her swim at multiple Olympic games. I really enjoyed reading this book, which gave a behind the scenes look at Amanda's life and the swimming world.
I have read a few reviews claiming that the book is all lies and that Beard just wrote this book to get attention and money. I suppose it is impossible to know Beard's true motives behind the book, but while reading it, I felt like it w...more
I have read a few reviews claiming that the book is all lies and that Beard just wrote this book to get attention and money. I suppose it is impossible to know Beard's true motives behind the book, but while reading it, I felt like it w...more
Since a young age, Amanda Beard has been one of my swimming idols, and I always looked up to her as a swimmer. After reading her memoir and learning about the hardships she has had to overcome, I now look up to her as a person as well. She had to deal with her parents' divorce at an early age and escape emotionally abusive relationships, but what really hit home for me was how she dealt with her low self-esteem in the years after her first Olympics. I completely empathized with her need for rele...more
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The book was good, and I applaud Amanda for her honesty about her difficult journey. I will say though that I didn't enjoy reading about her drug abuse, binging and cutting or her volatile temper. The most enjoyable portion of the book was the last few chapters when she chose to go to therapy and began dealing with the hardships of her childhood and of being in the spotlight at a young age. I wish there had been more of a balance between the amount of detail about her poor choices and the amount...more
As a person there is much to admire in Amanda Beard's story. Addiction is such a horrible disease and anyone who can claw their way out of it deserves applause and praise. Her achievements as a swimmer are also amazing.
That said- did not enjoy this book. From the beginning Beard paints herself as a very unlikable character. From describing the Olympics and swimming as 'boring' and a drag to endless accounts of her miserable boyfriends, she came across as whining and annoying. I got the feeling...more
That said- did not enjoy this book. From the beginning Beard paints herself as a very unlikable character. From describing the Olympics and swimming as 'boring' and a drag to endless accounts of her miserable boyfriends, she came across as whining and annoying. I got the feeling...more
I give Amanda Beard credit for sharing her story but I felt the memoir read more like a diary entry of bad relationships and the swimming was an after thought. She talks about swimming in the very beginning of the book when she was young and how it shaped her, but really the insight into to her childhood swimming is about the extent of her delving into her swimming life. She divulges that she was bulimic and cutting herself, but most of the time it reads: Oh and by the way, I was still cutting m...more
She became a media darling stepping up on the medal platform at 14 with her teddy bear and then competed in two more Olympics winning seven medals and one individual gold. The best breast stroke swimmer of her time her success in the pool became a refuge and place of solace from the family life, her parents divorced when she was 12 and she lived with her father, her struggles in school, she has dyslexia, and further problems of self image and depression even though she had fame as a cover model...more
GREAT book. I had NO idea what Amanda Beard went through growing up in the spotlight. It also helped me respect her a bit more because I was also a fan of hers that was frustrated when she decided to bear it all for Playboy. The story does tend to get a bit shaped like this: "I had issues", "My boyfriend was an issue", "I had more issues", "My next boyfriend sucked just as much", "I had even more issues"... etc. etc. until the end. I loved the she included photos in the end as well - it helped p...more
Memoir of an Olympic swimmer who competed since age 2 and medaled in Atlanta at age 14, with continued success after that. Her story goes into body issues after puberty, an eating disorder, competitive swimming, college, drug use, post swimming jobs and cutting. It was sequential and kept me engaged throughout. Three stars because I felt like there was a huge focus on her relationship with this other swimmer who was a huge ass. While I understand this was a major part of her life, it just didn't...more
I have no idea what made me pick up this book - could be because I remember seeing her swim as a 4 year old. I also remember the next time I saw her swim - something about the way her coy smile and piercing blue eyes when she looked up realized she did well.
Reading the snyopsis of her book, I was kind of drawn to experience her stuggles with her anger and or emotional issues. (could be because I haven't seen a lifetime movie in quite some time) At any rate, great story of struggle, strife and ov...more
Reading the snyopsis of her book, I was kind of drawn to experience her stuggles with her anger and or emotional issues. (could be because I haven't seen a lifetime movie in quite some time) At any rate, great story of struggle, strife and ov...more
I thought it was an interesting story that showed a dark side to Olympic Glory, particularly when she was going through puberty.
The book was a soul-baring from losing her virginity, drugs, body image, media photoshop, cutting, boyfriends; yet somehow she still seemed aloof in the book. There wasn't much detail on training or the Olympics and a lot of detail on her toxic relantionships.
Again, interesting story, but I thought it could have been a lot better. The book left me with a feeling of "wo...more
The book was a soul-baring from losing her virginity, drugs, body image, media photoshop, cutting, boyfriends; yet somehow she still seemed aloof in the book. There wasn't much detail on training or the Olympics and a lot of detail on her toxic relantionships.
Again, interesting story, but I thought it could have been a lot better. The book left me with a feeling of "wo...more
I have to be really honest, I was disappointed with this book. When I saw Ms. Beard on Dr. Phil, I thought this book was going to be a "I made it through the rain" type of book and lessons learned for our young women who are under a ton of pressures for multiple reasons. It wasn't. Instead, I found a really discombobulated book that rarely touched on deep emotions, but at other times, was incredibly superficial in its' presentation. I think that Ms. Beard has the potential to serve as a role mod...more
No excuses. No gloss. No blame. Amanda tells her story as honestly as she can. Good for her! If she hadn't been so competitive...if her parents hadn't divorced...if she hadn't been so young when she first competed in the Olympics...if she hadn't had difficulty in school...maybe the things she went through would never have happened. If that were the case, Amanda Beard wouldn't be who she is today and that is a woman who recognized her pain and sought help. Again, good for her! I wish her continue...more
The description of the city we grew up on was very accurate, as was the description of teachers, the principal, etc. I remember being in front of the high school (she was a freshman when I was a senior I think)to congratulate her on the olympics. I remember we were told to be there and I felt bad for her because it was clearly overwhelming. The principal's speech was even worse. Poor girl. Glad her life has turned out wonderfully despite difficult times. This was a great read and I thoroughly en...more
Didn't really know much about this Olympic swimmer but saw her book discussed on a talk show and it caught my interest. It is always amazing how people handle pressure and I could relate to some of her coping mechanisms. Good book overall, but sometimes, it felt like she was complaining a tad much to me. However, it is a memoir and she is stating her feelings about how she experienced things in her life so it's okay. It's kind of sad that she let her full scholarship to college go to pursue othe...more
I had such high hopes for this book. I was disappointed. Of course, I give Amanda credit for opening up so publicly about very personal issues; but after reading this I feel like I know more about her boyfriends than I do her. There was very little connection to her. All of her demons (drugs, bulimia, cutting) were discussed as if they were an after thought. It felt like this: "I was training really hard & was tired...also I threw up after every meal". I don't know what I was expecting, but...more
This book definitely deserves a five star rating, it takes a lot to put everything out there like Amanda does in this book and it was so incredible to read. I got to meet her a week ago (4/18/13) for a brief moment and got my copy signed and it was honestly just so amazing.
Before I read In the Water They Can't See You Cry, I read this quote from it: "Sometimes success is simply being willing to give it your all," and I took it to mean that in order to be successful or the best at something, you...more
Before I read In the Water They Can't See You Cry, I read this quote from it: "Sometimes success is simply being willing to give it your all," and I took it to mean that in order to be successful or the best at something, you...more
How I Came To Read This Book: While doing research on Olympian books awhile back, I came across Amanda Beard's memoir. Although I didn't know much about her other than recognizing her name, I was curious to read up on another sport, since my main focus was gymnastics.
The Plot: Amanda Beard attended her first Olympics in 1996 at the insanely young (and naive) age of fourteen. The book details the events in her life that led her to that moment, as well as the years afterward spent mentally and ph...more
The Plot: Amanda Beard attended her first Olympics in 1996 at the insanely young (and naive) age of fourteen. The book details the events in her life that led her to that moment, as well as the years afterward spent mentally and ph...more
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“Sometimes success is simply being willing to give it your all.”
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5 people liked it
“The more I added to my schedule, cleaning regimen, or athletic training, the less I felt. My coping mechanism won most people's approval. Adults were unusually impressed. Who doesn't like a kid with a serious work ethic? One of my biggest flaws turned into my best asset. A hard worker. Determined. Unstoppable. Tireless.”
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2 people liked it
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Aug 02, 2012 09:04pm