Amy Van Dyken Speaker Biography
Six-Time Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer
Amy Van Dyken-Rouen is a six-time Olympic champion who has made a lasting impact on the world of sports. She won four gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and two more in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. As an inspirational sports speaker, she shares her incredible journey of perseverance and triumph, both in and out of the pool. Van Dyken-Rouen’s achievements are truly remarkable, especially considering that all of her Olympic medals are gold. In recognition of her accomplishments, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008. Amy continues to inspire audiences with her story of resilience and determination, proving that overcoming obstacles is possible with unwavering focus and dedication.
Olympic Gold Medals
Van Dyken-Rouen stands out as one of the few Olympians whose medals are all gold. After her historic victories at the 1996 Summer Olympics, she received numerous accolades, including the ESPY for Female Athlete of the Year and Swimming World magazine’s Female Swimmer of the Year award. Her achievements also earned her induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the US Olympic Hall of Fame. As a motivational sports speaker, she highlights how dedication and hard work lead to remarkable success. Her journey from collegiate swimmer to Olympic gold medalist has made her an icon in the world of swimming. Her story serves as a powerful example of excellence in sports, inspiring others to push their limits and strive for greatness.
Swimming Career and Accolades
After high school, Amy attended the University of Arizona before transferring to Colorado State University, where she set a U.S. record in the 50-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships. In 1994, she was named the NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year. She then moved to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to prepare for the 1996 Olympics. Following her success in Atlanta, Amy earned numerous accolades, including being named USA Swimming’s Swimmer of the Year and receiving the prestigious Women’s Sports Foundation Sports Woman of the Year award. As an inspirational sports speaker, she often discusses how setting goals and pushing through adversity led to her extraordinary accomplishments.
Media and Public Appearances
Amy’s accomplishments have earned her recognition across a wide array of media outlets. She has appeared on the covers of USA Today, Newsweek, Time, and Sports Illustrated. Her story continues to inspire others, with her name frequently mentioned in conversations about sports and resilience. As a motivational speaker, Amy shares how the lessons learned in her athletic career have shaped her personal and professional life. Her powerful presence in the media, combined with her Olympic successes, allows her to reach a broad audience, motivating people of all ages to overcome challenges.
Retirement and New Endeavors
After retiring from swimming, Amy has found new ways to inspire. She served as a sports radio DJ, worked as a sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, and performed in the award-winning play The Vagina Monologues. Despite her transition to a new career, Amy’s passion for sharing her journey never wavered. As an inspirational sports speaker, she continues to speak at events, motivating audiences to face adversity with courage. Her ability to turn challenges into opportunities is central to her story, inspiring individuals to embrace life’s obstacles and push forward, no matter the circumstances.
Paralysis and Resilience
In 2014, Amy’s life took a dramatic turn when she was paralyzed from the waist down following an ATV accident. However, Amy’s unwavering spirit and determination have allowed her to persevere through this life-changing event. She now uses her story as an inspirational sports speaker to encourage others facing their own challenges. Amy’s resilience and refusal to give up have made her a beacon of hope for many, showing that even in the face of adversity, one can rise above and thrive.
Amy Van Dyken Speaking Topics
THE WILL TO WIN: OVERCOMING THE "IMPOSSIBLE"
Since childhood, Amy Van Dyken’s mantra has been “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?” A six-time Olympic gold medal winner, she was already a role model for underdogs everywhere with her debilitating asthma that had her dragged from the pool during several practices and her potentially career-ending shoulder surgeries that occurred between her first and second Olympics. But it was her life-threatening spinal cord injury in an ATV accident in 2014, that put her perseverance to the test. With little hope of surviving, and none that she would ever walk again, Amy did survive, and she did walk again. “I’m alive because I’m an athlete,” she said, following her accident. However, it was her “will to win” that saved her life. The same attitude that kept her motivated as she struggled to swim a single lap of the pool, set records, and win world championships, was the very same attitude required after the accident. 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.
REACHING FOR GOLD: FROM ASTHMA TO THE OLYMPICS & BEYOND
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 at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In 2014, Van Dyken-Rouen suffered an ATV accident that severed her spine and 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 their own version of gold.
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Amy Van Dyken Speaker Testimonials
On behalf of the American Association for Respiratory Care, our Board of Directors and respiratory therapists in attendance at AARC Congress 2015, I cannot thank you enough for the absolutely incredible Closing Ceremony keynote address you delivered at our meeting last week in Tampa. Unlike many professional athletes who lack the communication skills to allow them to be successful in life after their careers are over, you have not only mastered that skill, but also possess the innate ability to engage people and connect with their emotions.
- American Association for Respiratory Care | Douglas S. Laher, Associate Executive Director
