She was a multi-sport athlete growing up, but Amanda Elmore wasn’t planning to do a college sport until a member of the Purdue University rowing team suggested that she go to tryouts. That tryout was the start of her love for rowing and the start of her journey toward Olympic greatness.
Her talent for rowing also put Elmore on a path that would make her subject to anti-doping rules, which came with a range of responsibilities and tough decisions, including her decision to pass on free product offers from supplement companies to ensure that she was avoiding risky supplements ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. At those Games, Elmore and her boat won gold in the women’s eight rowing event and Elmore was the only member of her team to be tested after, making her even more appreciative that she was serious about her anti-doping responsibilities.
Now retired, Elmore has found a way to impress the importance of a level playing field on the next generation of Olympians, Paralympians, and elite athletes as a USADA Anti-Doping Education Athlete Presenter. She hopes to use her experiences and insights as an Olympian to help athletes better understand their responsibilities and navigate anti-doping rules so they can compete clean and win.
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