Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, the six-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer who
severed her spinal cord in an ATV accident in Arizona last week, will "fight tooth and nail" to overcome her injury, one of her former teammates said.
B.J. Bedford Miller, who competed alongside Van Dyken-Rouen in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has faith that her friend will bounce back quickly from her injury.
"She digs deep to overcome whatever is in front of her, and she's more stubborn than almost anyone I've ever met,"
Bedford Miller told the Denver Post this week. "When faced with challenges, she will fight tooth and nail to overcome them. That's just who she is."
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Misty Hyman, who ran in the same competition circuit as the 41-year-old Van Dyken-Rouen, echoed that sentiment.
"If anyone can overcome this and turn it into a success story,
it's Amy," Hyman told azcentral.com. "She's already making jokes and entertaining people. That's always been one of her charms. She's always willing to speak the truth, say what's on her mind and not mince words. That will serve her well in this process . . . She's already sitting up in a brace and taking steps toward recovery and already inspiring people."
Indeed, that toughness is illustrated in Van Dyken-Rouen's social media postings.
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"Hello everyone," she captioned the above photo. "I cannot express how much your love and support are helping me. #blessyouall #OneDayAtATime."
It's not clear exactly what Van Dyken-Rouen's recovery process will entail. According to initial reports, the Olympian could not feel her legs after the June 6 accident.
"Amy's spinal cord was completely severed at the T-11 vertebra, but, miraculously, a broken vertebra stopped within millimeters of rupturing her aorta," her family said in a statement.
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