Olympic gold medalist offers words of motivation to ASU students

Six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken-Rouen spoke to a group of Arizona State University College of Health Solutions students on Oct. 19 in downtown Phoenix, sharing a message of encouragement.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do.

Van Dyken-Rouen spoke to the assembled students as part of the College of Health Solutions 10th anniversary festivities, according to a press release. Van Dyken-Rouen was also the keynote speaker at the college’s Celebration of Health event later that evening.

Van Dyken-Rouen earned Olympic fame for swimming at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta as well as the 2000 games in Sydney. She spoke of the challenges she faced in the pool and out as she became the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics in 1996 and overcame injuries to compete again in 2000.

She also spoke of the more substantial challenges she faced following a 2014 ATV accident in Show Low, Arizona, that left her paralyzed from the waist down. The severe spinal cord injury almost took her life, and she said she still endures daily pain as a result — but it didn’t take her enthusiasm for life.

Van Dyken-Rouen still competes at a world-class level as a CrossFit athlete.

Since her accident, she’s also gone skydiving with Navy SEALs and regularly rock climbs.

“Every day is an awesome day,” Van Dyken-Rouen said. “And I try to learn something about myself every day.”