In the Water They Can't See You Cry

Seven time Olympic Metal winning swimmer, Amanda Beard competed in her first Olympics (1996 Atlanta Games) at the tender age of 14, where she won 2 silver and 1 gold metal. Growing up in the spotlight wasn't all glorious, in fact it was downright turbulent for much of her teen and young twenty years. She candidly tells the story of what was really happening beyond the pool deck and behind her glamorous facade in her new book, In the Water They Can't See You Cry: a memoir (Touchstone, April 3, 2012).

Here is the synopsis of In the Water They Can't See You Cry from the dust jacket cover:

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 new-found 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 left with two silvers and a gold medal. She competed in three more Olympic games, winning a total of seven medals, and enjoyed a lucrative modeling career on the side. At one point, she was the most downloaded female athlete on the Internet. 

Yet despite her astonishing career and sex-symbol status, Amanda felt unworthy of all her success. Unaware that she was suffering from clinical depression, she hid the pain beneath a megawatt smile. With no other outlet for her feelings besides the pool, Amanda expressed her emotions through self-destructive behavior. In her late teens and twenties, she became bulimic, abused drugs and alcohol, and started cutting herself. 

Her low self-esteem led to toxic relationships with high-profile men in the sports world. No one, not even her own parents and friends, knew about the turmoil she was going through. Only when she met her future husband, who discovered her cutting herself, did Amanda realize she needed help. 

Through her renewed faith in herself; the love of her family; and finally the birth of her baby boy, Blaise, Amanda has transformed her life. In these pages, she speaks frankly about her struggles with depression, the pressures to be thin, and the unhealthy relationships she confused for love. In the Water They Can’t See You Cry is a raw, compelling story of a woman who gained the strength to live as bravely out of the water as she did in it.

So many times it sees that the cost of glory tends to be one's self and so it seems to have been for Amanda Beard, as least during those turbulent teen and college-age years. I am a huge fan of Olympic sports, and I was familiar with who Amanda Beard was as an Olympic athlete. I had no idea about her life "behind the scenes."  I found In the Water They Can't See You Cry to be quite fascinating. It is a quick, easy read. I was glad to read how she was finally able to get the help she needed and find the love she deserved and I wish her the best of luck in the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer and in her life in general!

In the Water They Can't See You Cry is a well written memoir of a young woman who has felt the glory of Olympic Gold yet struggled with finding her way in this life, something many of us go through, and despite the darkest times in her life has been able to come out strong and happy. 

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my sample used in this review, opinions are honest.  Review by Michelle.

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