Amy Van Dyken-Rouen

Six-time Olympic gold medal champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen made history as the most successful athlete at the ’96 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, becoming the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games. She also represented the United States in various international swimming competitions, including the 2000 Summer Olympics, World Aquatics Championships, and the Pan American Games. But after a devastating ATV accident in 2014, Van Dyken-Rouen was paralyzed from the waist down. Following rehabilitation, she was able to take her first steps with the help of a walker and a bionic device.

Following her retirement from swimming after the 2000 Olympics, Van Dyken-Rouen explored different career paths, including working as a radio personality, serving as a sideline reporter for the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos football teams, and co-hosting Fox Sports Radio's Fox Sports Tonight with Rob Dibble. She also acted in the award-winning stage-play "The Vagina Monologues."

Van Dyken-Rouen is a frequent speaker to nonprofit organizations and businesses across the country, being an encouraging symbol of strength and tenacity and a role model for individuals with debilitating injuries and ailments. Her talk at ESPN’s Women + Sports Summit reflects on her experiences as a world-class athlete and paraplegic and inspires others to develop their own “will to win" to accomplish their goals. Van Dyken-Rouen is also known for her involvement in various charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and runs an annual celebrity fundraiser in Evergreen, Colorado, to raise money for disadvantaged youth.

Despite competing with about 65% of normal lung capacity, Van Dyken-Rouen's determination led her to win several world titles and set numerous American and world records. Her success in swimming made her an instant celebrity and earned her many awards and accolades, including being named Swimming World's American Swimmer of the Year in 1995 and 1996, an Associated Press “Female Athlete of the Year,” an ESPN “ESPY Female Athlete of the Year,” and one of the “25 Most Influential Females in Sport” by Women's Sports and Fitness magazine. She was the only American swimmer to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2007 and was also inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in July 2008.