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Amanda Ray Beard is born
Amanda was raised in Irvine, California to Dan and Gayle Beard. She has two older sisters, Leah and Taryn. When Amanda was growing up, there was a pool down the street from there house on a culdasac. This is where she started her dream. -
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Exposititon
The expostion introduces Amanda Beard and her life. It shows her growing up and her introduction to the world of competitive swimming. -
Amanda joins the Colony Red Hots summer swim team
At five years old, Amanda began practicing with the Colony Red Hots. She told her father that she wanted to be an Olympian. -
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Rising Action
Amanda's early Olympic and collegiate career signify the rising action along with her relationship with Ryk Neethling because her eating disorders and self image problems arise then. -
Beard's parents divorce
Amanda and her father come home from a father-daughter bonding trip to the house emptied. Her mother had moved out, and in the months following the couple filed for divorce. -
Beard joins the Irvine Novaquatics
Amanda becomes a Nova and begins her uprising in competitive swimming. Under the direction of coach Dave Salo, she bumped up her training and was soon practicing and competiting with the best swimmers in the nation. -
Amanda Beard becomes the youngest member of the US Olympic swim team
Amanda comes home from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta with two silver medals and a gold. She is the youngest Olympic team member since 1976 and the youngest to hold three medals. She carried her teddy bear on the awards podium with her, which later signified her innocense in such an intense world. -
Beard begins to grow
Amanda grows four inches and gains weight, which is a deadly combination in the athletic world. Her self confidence begins to diminish and she is led in a downward spiral of destructive behaviour like alcohol/drug abuse, and self-harm. -
Beard's issues worsen
Amanda feels the pressure of collegiate and national level swimming. The stress of college and her relationship with Neethling causes Amanda to develop several eating disorders. -
Beard meets Ryk Neethling
Amanda goes to the University of Arizona on a swimming scholarship, where she meets Ryk Neethling. The two form a back and forth relationship that ends up being detrimental to Amanda's fragile self image and worsens her self esteem. -
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Crisis and turning point
This is the turning point in Amanda's life because it is when she is most vulnerable. She begins self destructive behaviors and experiments with many drugs, along with facing depression. -
Beard goes to her second Olympics
Amanda competes in her second Olympics, this time in Sydney, Australia. She takes home the silver in the 200 meter breastroke, despite all of her body peace issues. -
Neethling and Beard separate
After one too many screaming fights, Amanda finally stands up for herself and demands Ryk leave her life. At the same time, her swimming improves. -
Beard meets photographer Sacha Brown
Amanda meets photographer Sacha Brown while on a photoshoot which was booked to help her self esteem. While on the shoot the two hit it off and began dating shortly after. He greatly improves her self image and demands all of her destructive behaviors stop immediately. -
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Falling action
This is the falling action in Amanda's life because her relationship with Sacha begins the resconstruction process of her life. -
Mr. and Mrs. Sacha Brown
Sacha and Amanda tie the knot in a secluded ceromony on the island of Wakatobi. -
Blaise Ray Beard is born
Amanda and Sacha give birth to their first son, Blaise Ray. -
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Resolution
the resolution of Amanda's life is this because she gets her happily ever after; a beautiful baby boy with her husband and a chance to represent her country in the London 2012 Olympics. -
Beard goes back to training
Amanda goes back to training. After a lot of practice, she is stronger than ever. She is currently training for the Olympic Trials with her alma mater swim team, and hopes to go to her fifth Olympic games in London this year at the age of thirty.