Amanda Beard To Speak In South Bend During Mental Illness Week
SOUTH BEND — Amanda Beard, a swimmer who’s won seven Olympic medals but who’s also survived depression, anorexia, bulimia and drug and alcohol abuse, will speak at a local luncheon Oct. 4 as part of events for Mental Illness Awareness Week.
In 2012 Beard released her book “In the Water They Can’t See You Cry,” about her struggles and her newfound happiness in love and motherhood. She was known for clutching a teddy bear at the 1996 Olympic Games, where she debuted at age 14, gaining medals there and at the next two Olympics.
She’ll speak in a luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Palais Royale in downtown South Bend. Tickets, at $50 each, can be ordered at oaklawn.org/miaw. The event is a fundraiser to benefit Oaklawn, a local community mental health center.
The week includes a free seminar Oct. 6, including pizza and ice cream, called “Mental Health Matters: A Community Conversation.” It will run from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 E. Third St., Mishawaka. It will begin with a talk by Oaklawn medical director Dr. Daniel Kinsey, followed by five break-out sessions from which to choose: “My life with mental illness: A personal story,” “Identifying signs and symptoms in youth,” “Addiction and the opiate crisis,” “Suicide prevention: How to ask the right questions” and “Planning special needs estates: What you need to know.”
No registration is needed.
Source: SBT
