It’s Mother’s Day so what a perfect time to run an interview with Olympic Athlete and Mom Amanda Beard. She not only is a seven-time Olympic Medal athlete but she’s an awesome Mom and Entrepreneur. In this interview I wanted to ask her how she juggles being a mom with the entire world in chaos. Or so it feels to me!
So for Mother’s Day, consider maybe a bit of inspiration that we’re all human!
MS) I am pulling my hair out trying to work at a full time job as well as manage the kids at home. Mostly because the kids being school temporarily at home always seem to stop my “process”. Every 10 minutes they need something! How do you juggle?
AB) I think the best thing to remember is that every parent is feeling this way right now more than ever! Juggling everything as a parent is never easy but you need to try to cut yourself some slack and understand that it won’t always be easy and it’s ok to have melt downs. My approach is to try not to plan too far out. When I start looking at my schedule for the week or the month ahead it can be overwhelming, so I only look at it one day at a time to help calm my anxiety about how to get everything done.
MS) Swimming in particular is an activity, while outside, some people have had concerns about. I know a few moms who were concerned being in a tight pool with other kids. Are you concerned?
AB)If a pool is run properly, it can be a clean, fun and safe environment for families to be in. Some of the protocols that we apply at Beard Swim Co. are:
Temperature checks and wellness forms submitted daily by anyone entering our facility
Face shields and face mask for all staff, both in water and out of water
We clean the facility every 30 minutes
Deep clean twice a day
We have an HVAC system that cleans our air inside of our facility so that it is 3 times cleaner than a science laboratory and 8 times cleaner than a typical office space
The turn over rate of all the water in our pool is 8 times every 24 hours and all water is run through a filtration system and a UV light system before it enters the pool
MS) Do your kids realize that you’re an Olympian and basically awesome?
AB) Lol, my kids do know that I was a swimmer and swam in the Olympics, but to them I am still mom and just as embarrassing as a regular parent. I do earn some cool points with my son when I talk about other athletes I have been able to meet along the way.
MS) You mentioned in previous interviews stress from wearing a swimsuit in front of others. We seem to have now two movements. Show it all on Tik Tok as well as these “real models”. Who will win this debate?
AB) I just hope everyone feels confident in any swimsuit they choose to wear! Looking back I exhausted myself thinking about my figure and worrying about what people think. As long as I am healthy and happy that’s all I care about these days.
MS) A lot of people have recommended exercise as a means of working through depression. Have you found that exercise can help in dealing with the madness of the pandemic and other mental stress?
AB) Definitely. I have a couple of go to’s to manage my stress and anxiety. I meditate often, walk a lot, swim, and play with my kids. I find I am my happiest when I am just being around my family and close friends so that’s how I choose to spend my free time.
MS) When you can’t swim, what do you do to keep fit?
AB) I never sit still (ha!), but seriously my husband is always telling me to sit and relax. I am a busy body and I like to be active and doing things so I feel like that always helps my fitness. I work with a lot of athletes so I am always running around a pool deck too. I have also tried Aerial, rope climbing, mountain bike riding, surfing, and we just put a half pipe in our garage so we can all skateboard at home. We are an active family that likes to take adventures so it doesn’t feel like we are working out, but just having fun!
Learn more about her at: Amanda Beard
Maria Spanadoris an experienced online writer with a passion for general entertainment stories. As a Greek mom, Maria brings her unique perspective to her writing, infusing her work with warmth and humor. She has been writing online for over 20 years, starting her career at thecelebritycafe.com. Since then, Maria has honed her skills as a writer, developing a talent for crafting engaging and informative content that keeps her readers coming back for more. Whether she's covering the latest celebrity gossip or writing about her own experiences as a mom, Maria's writing is always relatable and engaging.
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Maria Spanadorishttps://famadillo.com/author/marias/
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Maria Spanadorishttps://famadillo.com/author/marias/
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Maria Spanadorishttps://famadillo.com/author/marias/
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Maria Spanadorishttps://famadillo.com/author/marias/
