ARIZONA NEWS

Amy Van Dyken forges ahead with physical rehab with smile on her face

Jun 27, 2014, 7:48 AM | Updated: 8:21 am

PHOENIX — Paralyzed Olympic gold-medal swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen said in a television interview Friday that she has had some sensation near her waist, which gives her hope that feeling will return to her legs.

Hope and high spirits are the twin engines driving Van Dyken-Rouen. Injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident on June 6 outside Show Low, Ariz., she has posted upbeat, funny tweets since just a couple days after the life-changing crash.

She has begun intense rehabilitation at a specialty hospital near Denver and has been faithfully updating her social-media accounts.

She visited with ‘Today’ show host Matt Lauer in an interview that aired Friday morning.

“This is how it’s been the whole time,” said her husband, former NFL punter Tom Rouen said of his wife’s positive attitude.

“I do all the ‘what ifs’ (about the accident),” Rouen said, “but she doesn’t do that.”

Van Dyken said her goal was to walk out of the rehab facility in August and that he said she has sometimes has sensation around her waist..

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Amy Van Dyken forges ahead with physical rehab with smile on her face