Olympic athletes know when their personal flame was lit, when their desire to compete at the Games began to burn.

Amanda Beard was only 10, but she knew what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go. Four years after watching the 1992 Barcelona Olympics on television, the teen swimmer wasn’t just watching the Atlanta Games, she was on the medal podium three times.

Four more medals and three more Olympics later, Beard still dreams the dream. She shared that — as well as her breaststroke technique — with the dozens of young swimmers Sunday at ‘Iolani School’s Dillingham Pool.

"I never got this kind of opportunity, to meet an Olympian, when I was their age," Beard said. "It’s a really cool experience for me and I try to make it fun.

"I was one of those kids, staring at the black lines on the bottom of the pool all the time. I know what it’s like and it’s hard to stay motivated. Hopefully, they enjoyed it."

There was no doubt that ‘Iolani freshman Melisa Kegans did. Kegans is the same age (14) that Beard was when she became the second-youngest U.S. swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal. (Hawaii resident Pokey Watson Richardson was the youngest by 172 days in 1964).

"I never thought I’d have an opportunity like this," said Kegans, who swims for the Raiders. "It’s amazing, very inspiring.

"The breaststroke is not my strongest, but she gave us a new drill and worked on lengthening my stroke. I would like to go to the Olympics. I watched it (in 2008) and watched Dara Torres. She was very inspirational."

Torres, a five-time Olympian, made history at the Beijing Games when — following a six-year retirement from swimming– she won a medal at age 41.

Beard can relate. After not medaling in 2008, her first Games without a medal, she took time off to have a child; she and husband Sacha Brown welcomed Blaise Ray Brown in September 2009.

The break from competition was beneficial. Beard said she got back in the pool to get back into shape and lose the baby weight, and "I realized I still love it," she said. "I’m going to keep going and see what happens.

"If it makes sense for me to do it (the 2012 London Games) … I still want to. I don’t want to look back 20-30 years from now and ask myself why didn’t I keep going. I don’t want it to take away from my family."

Beard said the motherhood has shifted her priorities. If she has something to do with or for her son, training comes second. Still, last August she finished second in the 200 breast at the CP National Championships, and she and Natalie Coughlin were Team USA co-captains at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships later that month.

Beard and her young family live in Tucson, Ariz., where she trains with her former college coach at the University of Arizona. She said being in the desert was the best place to train, however her husband — a photographer and avid surfer — has been trying to convince her to move to Hawaii.

"I don’t know," she said. "But we’ve had a really good time the past few days."

Beard’s well-chronicled life has included the ups of modeling for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and being a Fox correspondent for The Best Damn Sports Show Period. It also includes the downs of her struggles with depression and self-injury.

"I’m an open book, I am very open to sharing what I’ve gone through," Beard said. "I have worked with groups of young girls about body issues.

"There is a lot of pressure. I know the pictures I’ve taken that they’ve airbrushed here and there. I’m married to a photographer, I know what they do to photos. But high school girls looking at the cover of a magazine don’t see that.

"What I tell them is it’s about finding your own thing. The stuff I’ve gone through in my life I wouldn’t ever change because it has made me who I am."

Beard still has that famous teddy bear she had on the podium in 1996 as well as an awareness of how special her Olympic experiences have been.

"Every time has been a different experience," she said. "I’ve sensed the context of it and just how amazing it is."

Note

Beard’s appearance was part of the Hawaii Tour of Champions created by new ‘Iolani Swim Club head senior coach Bobby Brewer, a past national champion in the 100 backstroke and All-American at Georgia. Olympian Jason Lezak was the featured HTC swimmer in September and Aaron Piersol is scheduled for spring.