# Book review: In the Water They Can?t See You Cry by Amanda Beard



## David Baxter PhD (Oct 19, 2012)

*Book review:  In the Water They Can?t See You Cry by Amanda Beard*
*Touchstone (2012),  $24.99*
_Review by Stephanie  Corkett, NAMI Communications Intern_
July 31, 2012





Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard?s memoir _In the Water They Can?t See You Cry_   provides  an engaging look into Amanda?s struggle with depression,   cutting and eating  disorders while swimming competitively.  

On the surface Amanda Beard had it all, an Olympic champion from  the   age of 14, Amanda was a sports icon and always in the spotlight. In her    memoir, Amanda opens up on a wide range of topics in  a candid and   brutally honest way, revealing a side of her that many viewers and  fans   had never seen. This honest account documents Amanda?s struggle with  crippling   depression and low self-esteem with a changing body. It  portrays her  descent  into drug use while trying to save a romantic  relationship.

The world viewed Amanda as a winner and a beautiful woman; however,    she didn?t see herself that way, which lead to self-destruction. This   memoir  pulls no punches about overcoming and battling those demons head   on and finding  some middle ground.  

 Not until Amanda met her husband, photographer Sacha Brown, was  she   guided into seeking professional help to recognize and manage her    depression and begin to truly enjoy her swimming and her relationships   and  succeed in both realms. After seeking help, Amanda began to realize   her own  self-worth and came back stronger than ever to compete in the   Olympics a record  four times in a row, which is unheard of in   competitive swimming.

 Now living with her husband and son in Arizona, Amanda no longer  has   destructive tendencies and has a positive self-image. Amanda?s memoir    highlights the good and bad about living in the spotlight with the   incredible  pressure of being a national icon while hating her own body.   It reminds readers  that even those who seemingly have it all can   struggle in life but it?s how  they deal with those struggles in the end   that really matter.


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## Banned (Oct 19, 2012)

Am just finishing this book.  Its a very interesting read that really exposes the pressures of elite athletes and the impact those pressures have on them, their families, relationships, and lives.


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