One of the most popular athletes at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, was American swimmer Amanda Beard. She won silver medals in both the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke races and a gold medal as part of the victorious U.S. 400-meter medley relay team. The youngest member of the U.S. swim team, Beard and her lucky teddy bear swam their way into the hearts of fans throughout the world.

Growing up

Swims for fun

Amanda Beard was born October 29, 1981, in Irvine, California. Her father, Dan, is a hotel and restaurant management professor at Orange Coast College, and her mother, Gayle, is a high school art teacher. Beard's parents are divorced, but live near each other and remain friends.

Beard began swimming as a child on the Colony Red Hots Swim Team. There she joined her two sisters, Leah and Taryn, who also swam. "I wanted...