Amanda Polk, a women's open pair champion at Head of the Hooch in 2014, is returning to Chattanooga this weekend - but she's not coming for another title at the city's annual rowing regatta.
Most would likely agree she has earned some time off from competition.
Polk fulfilled her Olympic dreams in August by winning a gold medal as a member of the U.S. "women's eight" rowing team in Rio de Janeiro.
Two from that team, Polk and Lauren Schmetterling, will be guests of honor as thousands descend on the Scenic City for Saturday and Sunday's races at Ross's Landing. The Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates 16,000 people will attend the 13th annual event, generating a $3.4 million economic impact for the area.
"It's great to come to these regattas and really just inspire the younger generation of rowers and be an example of what they can do if they put their mind to it," Polk said in a phone interview ahead of her visit.
Polk was an alternate when the U.S. team won gold at the 2012 London Olympics and said she needed to give herself another chance to achieve her dreams.
"After that disappointment, I had to re-assess what I wanted and if I wanted to end my career on that note," Polk said. "I decided I wasn't going to be happy."
Polk and Schmetterling will share lessons from their Olympic journeys on Friday with students at three local schools, starting at The Howard School and Girls Leadership Academy in the morning before participating in a 3:30 p.m. session at Girls Preparatory School that is open to the public. They are scheduled to sign autographs and pose for photos from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Head of the Hooch.
"I always feel like it's a great thing to let them be lifted up by our rowing community and see how much people really appreciate what they've done to bring an Olympic gold medal back to the USA," race director Doug Beville said.
Polk is a 2008 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Schmetterling graduated from Colgate University in 2010.
The months since August's gold medal glory have been hectic. Polk is from Pittsburgh, and her home county, Allegheny County, declared Sept. 8 "Amanda Polk Day."
Elevated to celebrity status by the gold medal, she has made other trips around the country while planning her wedding for later this month in the midst of all the mayhem.
Polk said any aspirations of competing at the 2020 Olympics are to be determined, but she plans to stay in shape, "just in case."
"It's been such a roller-coaster journey," she said. "But I've truly appreciated every moment, especially in the last four years where it felt like the toughest years of my life. Emotionally, physically and spiritually, everything was tested."
For now, the celebration continues with a stop in Chattanooga to inspire others with a gold medal that proves the validity of the message.
"The message," Polk said, "is that through hard work, being true to yourself and never giving up, that dreams do come true."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.