Episode 122- Amy Van Dyken on How to Keep a Positive Outlook

Amy Van Dyken is a six-time Olympic gold-medalist swimmer and the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Games. In…

Episode 122- Amy Van Dyken on How to Keep a Positive Outlook

Amy Van Dyken is a six-time Olympic gold-medalist swimmer and the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Games. In…

Amy Van Dyken is a six-time Olympic gold-medalist swimmer and the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Games. In June of 2014, Amy’s life was turned upside down. She severed her spinal cord in an ATV accident, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Instead of being defeated, Amy attacked her rehab with relentless optimism and has become a champion for the disabilities community. In our conversation today, we talk about how to stay positive in the face of adversity, persevere against all odds, and go for it!

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“Let’s live our life every day like it’s our last day.”

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Show Notes

Her expectations going into the 1996 Olympic Games (1:43)
The mental preparation and visualization techniques Amy used to compete at the highest level (4:01)
You learn more from disappointment and losses than from accolades and wins (6:17)
The difference between her first and second Olympics; and returning from shoulder surgery to win two more gold medals in 2000 (7:37)
What it’s like to represent your country on the world’s biggest stage (10:58)
How narrowly missing out on the 1992 Olympics motivated her for 1996 (14:29)
Why she started swimming and overcoming asthma to compete (16:29)
How the death of her younger brother impacted her (19:47)
The ATV accident that paralyzed her from the waist down (21:42)
Re-learning to live after the accident (27:38)
What built her resilience (29:59)
How she overcomes negative thinking (31:17)
Embracing a new challenge competing in adaptive Crossfit (33:03)
Using her platform as a voice for the disability community (35:48)

Resources / People Mentioned

1996 Summer Olympics (Atlanta)
2000 Summer Olympics (Sydney)
AP Female Athlete of the Year
Amy Van Dyken severs spine in ATV accident
Janet Evans, swimmer
Tom Rouen, NFL
Denver Broncos, NFL
Rob Dibble, MLB
Kevin Ogar, Crossfit
Katie Ledecky, Olympic swimmer

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