Amy Van Dyken

Amy Van Dyken (1973–) is a six-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States and former competitive swimmer. In 1996 she became the first American woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games. She is now a motivational speaker and involved in charity work.

Early Life

Amy Deloris Van Dyken was born on February 15, 1973, in Englewood, Colorado. Because she experienced breathing problems as a child, a doctor prescribed swimming to help strengthen her lungs.

Van Dyken attended Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, where her team won the state championship and was a six-time high school All-American. By graduation, Van Dyken held five school records along with two state records and was named Colorado Swimmer of the Year (1987).

College Career

While at the University of Arizona, Van Dyken won two silver medals, however, her swimming career started after she transferred to Colorado State University. In 1993 she set seven school and Western Athletic Conference records. In 1994 she won the NCAA Championship and set the new American record. That year she was named Colorado State’s Female Athlete of the Year and the NCAA’s Female Swimmer of the Year.

US Olympian

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she became the first American woman in history to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. The Associated Press and ESPN each named her Female Athlete of the Year.

At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Van Dyken won two more gold medals in addition to helping the US team set a new world record. Van Dyken’s total of six gold medals ranks her second among American female swimmers and fifth among all women in Olympic history.

Retirement and Injury

Van Dyken retired from competitive swimming after the 2000 Olympics. In 2001 she married Tom Rouen, a former punter in the NFL. They have homes in both Scottsdale, Arizona, and Keystone, Colorado.

After retiring, Van Dyken worked as a swimming coach and radio host in Arizona. In 2014, she suffered a spinal-cord injury in an ATV crash which left her paralyzed from the waist down. After recovering, Van Dyken founded Amy’s Army, a nonprofit that provides wheelchairs to injured children and funding medical research into reconnecting severed spinal cords so that individuals can regain movement. She is also active in Colorado charities such as Colorado Youth Outdoors, for which she and her husband host the yearly Tom Rouen and Amy Van Dyken Celebrity Shootout in Evergreen.

Today Van Dyken works as an analyst for the Pac-12 Network’s swimming coverage and as a contributor to many Denver radio stations and television programs. She also gives motivational speeches at charity events, women’s foundations, and award ceremonies. In July 2019 she completed her first athletic competition since her injury, finishing second at the WheelWOD Games.

Amy Van Dyken (1973–) is a six-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States and former competitive swimmer. She became the first American woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games.

Early Life

Amy Deloris Van Dyken was born on February 15, 1973, in Englewood, Colorado. As a child she had breathing problems, so her doctor advised swimming to help strengthen her lungs.

In high school, Van Dyken held five school records along with two state records and was named Colorado Swimmer of the Year (1987).

College Career

While at Colorado State University, she set seven school and Western Athletic Conference records. In 1994 she won the NCAA Championship and set the new American record. That year she was named Colorado State’s Female Athlete of the Year and the NCAA’s Female Swimmer of the Year.

US Olympian

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she became the first American woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. The Associated Press and ESPN each named her Female Athlete of the Year.

At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Van Dyken won two more gold medals and helped the US team set a new world record.

Retirement and Injury

Van Dyken retired from competitive swimming after the Olympics. In 2001 she married Tom Rouen. They have homes in both Scottsdale, Arizona, and Keystone, Colorado.

After retiring, Van Dyken worked as a swimming coach and radio host in Arizona. A 2014 ATV crash left her paralyzed from the waist down. After recovering, Van Dyken founded Amy’s Army, a charity that provides wheelchairs to injured children. She is also active in Colorado charities. She and her husband host the yearly Tom Rouen and Amy Van Dyken Celebrity Shootout in Evergreen.

Van Dyken gives motivational speeches at charity events, women’s foundations, and award ceremonies. In July 2019 she completed her first athletic competition since her injury, finishing second at the WheelWOD Games.

Amy Van Dyken (1973–) is a six-time Olympic gold medal winner for the United States and former competitive swimmer.

Early Life

Amy Deloris Van Dyken was born on February 15, 1973, in Englewood, Colorado. As a child she had trouble breathing. Her doctor told her to swim to help support her lungs.

In high school, Van Dyken held five school records and two state records and was named Colorado Swimmer of the Year (1987).

College Career

In college she set seven school and Western Athletic Conference records. In 1994 she won the NCAA Championship and set the new American record. That year she was named Colorado State’s Female Athlete of the Year and the NCAA’s Female Swimmer of the Year.

US Olympian

At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she became the first American woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympics.

At the 2000 Olympics, Van Dyken won two more gold medals and helped the US team set a new world record.

Retirement and Injury

Van Dyken retired from competitive swimming after the Olympics.

A 2014 ATV crash left her unable to move from the waist down. After the crash, Van Dyken founded Amy’s Army, a charity that provides wheelchairs to injured children.