Olympic Gold Medalist Opens Swim School In Gig Harbor

GIG HARBOR, WA - One of the best swimmers on Earth has returned to her childhood stomping grounds to open a swim school. Amanda Beard, who won seven medals - including a gold at age 14 at the Atlanta games - and competed in four Olympics, recently opened Beard Swim Co. in Gig Harbor with a focus on teaching young children fundamental swimming techniques.

Beard, who is originally from Newport Beach, Calif., grew up visiting family in Pierce County on Puget Sound. The combination of family, a dearth of swim schools, and the natural beauty of the area drew Beard to open her school here.

The school is located in a shopping plaza along Point Fosdick Drive. You might not know it from the outside, but Beard has built a sizable facility with two swimming pools between the Rite Aid and Main & Vine stores. Inside, Beard has trained a group of instructors on Beard's method. Beard will also be giving lessons herself.

The school is for students of all ages, starting at the infant level - and lessons are already filling up. The school has been open for just under a month, and already Beard has an eye toward expansion.

"We keep trying to open more classes, but they keep getting booked up in minutes," Beard said.

Beard, 35, began her swimming career at six months old when her mother began taking her to the pool. By age 3, she was able to swim back and forth across an entire pool. At age 11, Beard made the decision to focus on swimming full-time. Three years later, at the Atlanta games, she won gold (100 meter relay) and two silver medals (100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke). She went on to win bronze in Syndey in 2000; in 2004 in Athens she broke the world record and won gold in the 200-meter breast stroke, and took silver in the 200-meter medley and the 100-meter medley relay.

At her swim school, Beard is teaching a combination of lessons she learned during her swimming career, and the wisdom of others. Part of the curriculum is based on Beard's business partner's mother, who taught swimming lessons out of her backyard pool in Georgia for over 30 years.

The school has also earned the International Swimming Hall of Fame's “More Than Water" designation, which is awarded to swim schools that teach swimming fundamentals to children as young as 6 months. Beard's is the first school in the U.S. to earn that designation.

Right now, Beard and her instructors are too busy to hold a grand opening ceremony, and are preparing for an even busier fall - indoor swimming schools are scarce around the area.

If you're interested in Beard's school, visit the website to learn more about classes for different age groups.

Image courtesy Amanda Beard