Women of The Olympics

Below is a video of an interview that Amanda Beard did regarding her Playboy shoot

Here’s the latest blog update from Amanda Beard…

“So it’s been some time since I last blogged, but much has happened in my life that I’d like to share. In late August I flew to Maui for the Maui Channel Swim and brought my boyfriend Sacha Brown, his brother and sister, and our scuba instructor. The trip was exactly what we all needed, a lot of r & r for the girls and a lot of adventure for the boys. Although I mostly relaxed, I did complete five dives with my instructor earning my Padi Advanced Scuba Diver certification. The Advanced Diver certification allows me to go deeper than the Open Water certification giving me access to more of the Ocean to search for my favorite fish, the Shark! Any and every shark, I admit I am a lover of all sharks! I think they are absolutely the most beautiful and efficient creatures on this planet. While they can be dangerous and must be treated with great respect always, I love being with them in their environment and watching them move with such grace and purpose. They can cover an enormous amount of ground with the littlest of effort. Now if only I could swim like that!

The only other time I left my beachside chair was to get some exercise on Sept. 1st when I joined a team of six and swam from Lanai to Maui in near perfect conditions. Our team ended up getting 4th place which was great but we have definite plans to earn 1st next year!

When I returned home from Hawaii I jumped right back into my training and on Sept. 16th I competed in the Malibu Triathlon where my team(Team Amanda Beard) and I were able to win 1st place in our category. It was a joy to see so many talented athletes gather to help raise money for The Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Along with all the athletes, a bunch of celebrities came out to show off; Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, the Bachelor, and more. Right after the triathlon I flew out to New York for the launch of my new signature bangle. I joined with Carloee Jewelry and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation to create a special bracelet which sold at Bloomingdales and 100% of the proceeds went directly to the cause. The bracelet was available in gold and silver and is inscribed with a quote of my own, “Laugh ‘till you cry, Cry ‘till you laugh.” I felt like this made sense; always with laughter, no matter what the hardship. I have to say thanks much to everyone who supported this effort, Breast Cancer can and will be beaten with compassion and generosity like yours!

After New York, Red Bull flew me up to be a celebrity judge for their Soap Box Derby Race in Seattle. This was an extra special trip for me because the races were hilariously entertaining with amazing crashes and going to Seattle allowed me to spend some much needed quality time with my Mom and the rest of my Family who live there. Now I’m home and back to training hard for the Olympic Trials with a new personal trainer and spin classes with my bestest friends Keri Hehn and Lindsay “Lohan” Payne.

As a closing note I’d just like to take a quick moment to say thank you to my sponsors, my family, my friends, my agent, my publicist and everyone else that has stuck by my side and believed in me over the years, your support has helped me to push myself as an athlete and more importantly as a person. I love you all,Amanda Ray Beard

P.S. There has been a lot of positive talk in the press and blogs about me lately and to all my supporters thank you from the bottom of my heart! To those few who cannot seem to find anything nice to say I say this, never talk badly about someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes, you might just find they’ve worked harder to get where they are in life than you thought. To those who trash the way I look, please take the minimal effort it takes to look the other way, or better yet set an example and be kind. And everyone please look out for the environment and the wonderful animals that live in it, enjoy this life, this world and may you be as fortunate and prosperous as I have been. ”

Another shark lover! I knew I liked this girl for a reason. Good luck in the trials Amanda, we’re counting on you for Beijing!