By Laura McCallister
Kansas City, MO (KCTV) — A six-time Olympic gold medalist shared powerful words of inspiration to women and girls in the metro Thursday.
Amy Van Dyken has been an inspirational role model for many years, but her ability to continue that inspiration after tragedy struck is nothing short of miraculous.
To a packed house at Thursday’s WIN (Women’s Intersport Network) for KC luncheon at Sheraton Crown Center, Van Dyken made one of her first public speaking engagement since her spinal cord was severed eight months ago in an ATV crash in Arizona.
Van Dyken fondly remembers winning the gold for the U.S. swim team in 1996 and 2000 Olympics, but her recent challenge to survive and thrive means far more to her.
“I work harder now than I did for the games because I’m not going for the gold medal, I’m going for my life,” she said.
Now paralyzed from the waist down, Van Dyken has endured long grueling hours of rehab to relearn how to shop, eat and drive. Even so, she beams with joy that she survived at all because that was not always in the cards. Her doctor offered these parting words as she went into her first surgery.
“This is your X-ray. I’m working in nano-meters, say goodbye to your husband because I don’t think you’ll make it,” she said.
She showed the doctor and now shows everyone that finding a positive outlook in times of hardship is the most rewarding way to live. It’s a message even the young people in the audience heard loud and clear.
“It was cool to see how she could take something so tragic and turn it into something amazing and beautiful,” said guest Katie Thill.
While Van Dyken is quite proud of her wheelchair skills, a self-proclaimed wheelie-queen, she doesn’t want to lose sight of her next goal, which is to walk unassisted again someday.