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Amy Van Dyken-Rouen takes first steps since injury

Olympic swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen talks to the media on Aug. 14. She walked recently with the help of an exoskeleton.
Olympic swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen talks to the media on Aug. 14. She walked recently with the help of an exoskeleton.
(Brennan Linsley / AP)
By David Wharton
Staff WriterFollow
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Moving slowly but smoothly, Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has taken her first steps since severing her spine in an ATV accident in June.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist, using a walker and wearing special equipment around her torso and legs, posted video of the rehab session on social media.

“Who’s excited to be walking with an exoskeleton?” she wrote. “This chick.”

The 41-year-old former swimmer was released from a lengthy hospital stay in Colorado last week.

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Van Dyken-Rouen had no feeling in her legs and feet after the accident but has more recently said that she is experiencing sporadic movement below her waist.

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David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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