Olympian Amy Van Dyken has made a career out of beating the odds, both in and out of the pool. At 18 months old, she was diagnosed with three different kinds of asthma that left her with only 65% normal lung capacity. At the recommendation of her doctor, she joined a swim team and stayed at it for years, despite her inability to finish a single length of the pool and her debilitating asthma attacks. But in 1996, she made the Olympic team and won four Gold medals. The record-breaking swimmer then fought a shoulder injury and two operations to win a pair of gold medals for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
In 2014, Van Dyken-Rouen suffered an ATV accident that severed her spine and was in need of surgery with only a 20% chance of survival. Even though the surgery was a success, Van Dyken was still paralyzed from the waist down. Her life-changing experience would leave many devastated and depressed. But Van Dyken, grateful for her second chance, decided to dedicate her new life to inspiring others to grasp every moment and to not complain; teaching that this life is a gift and every day should be met with an air of gratitude. In “Reaching for Gold,” Amy shares her personal story of overcoming adversity and keeping a good attitude no matter the odds, and inspires audiences to look past their limits and reach for ther own version of gold.
In “The Will to Win,” Amy Van Dyken discusses the need for relentless motivation and overcoming the limits and restraints others put on you – whether it be a coach, a friend, an adversary, yourself or even your own body. Van Dyken speaks plainly on both the physical and emotional obstacles that she has endured, as well as the emotional coming to terms with her new life and learning to embrace it.
Amy Van Dyken was incredible. Many of our long-time staff stated it she was the best keynote speaker the District has had in many years.
Tolleson Union High School District #214
- Oct 08 2024
Morgan Stanley - Oct 07 2024
Employers Council - Sep 16 2024
The Fiesta Bowl announced today that swimming legend Amy Van Dyken-Rouen will be the Grand Marshal of the 44th Annual National Bank of Arizona Fiesta Bowl Parade on December 27, 2014.
Never give up; A Swimmer's journey from the Olympics to a life-altering ATV accident. Amy Van Dyken-Rouen will speak to nearly 900 Mediware customers, ...
Denver native Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has made a career out of beating the odds , both on and off the competitive field. The record-breaking swimmer fought ...
Olympic swimming great Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has hit another inspiring milestone in her quest to walk again after being paralyzed in an ATV accident.
For years, I have been a vocal advocate for networks, especially sports talk radio outlets, to give women a higher-profile role in their programming. Sports talk ...
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