Amanda Stevens ’99 always dreamed of becoming an Olympian.

As a member of the swimming & diving team at TCU, the Enid, Okla., native excelled at the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard medley.

She trained for the Olympic trials after graduation but did not make the team.

“It was time to hang up the cap and goggles,” she said.

But, even after she enrolled at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, she couldn’t leave the pool behind.

“I was swimming on a pretty regular basis just for stress relief,” she said.

Triathletes she met convinced her to try a short triathlon. Despite not owning a bike and disliking running, Stevens loved her first 40-minute race. Then she won the National Triathlon Championship, which revived her Olympic dreams.

After earning a medical degree, Stevens put her career on hold to devote her attention to triathlon. She participated in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic trials but missed both teams.

Undeterred, Stevens started participating in the 70.3-mile long course triathlon. The event includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on a bike and 26.2 miles of jogging. The race takes her about nine hours. She finished in the Top 10 in the world in 2008.

Stevens continues to race, training for 35 hours some weeks. Eventually, she plans to resume her medical career in Oklahoma. She wants to work in sports medicine, wellness, or perhaps with children experiencing early-onset diabetes.