Frank Thomas

Amy Van Dyken
1973-
American swimmer
Champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken began swimming
at age six to help in her battle against asthma.
She could not swim the full length of an Olympic-size
pool until age twelve, but by college she was highly
decorated for her speed and ability. At the 1996
Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, she and her teams
placed first in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly,
400-meter freestyle relay, and 400-meter medley
relay. These victories made her the first American
woman to win four gold medals in one Olympic
Games. In spite of two shoulder surgeries, Van Dyken
returned to the Olympics in 2000 to win two more gold
medals in relays, for a total of six. Since retiring from
swimming after the Sydney, Australia, games, Van
Dyken has taken up a new sport, the triathlon.
Swimming to Control Asthma
Amy Deloris Van Dyken was born February 15,
1973, in Englewood, Colorado, the daughter of Don Van
Dyken, president of a computer software company, and
Becky Van Dyken. She has a brother and a sister. From
the age of ten months, Amy suffered from asthma and
allergies that prevented her from joining other children
in activities such as school field trips and overnight
stays with friends. When she was six, her doctor prescribed
swimming for the beneficial moisture in the air
and because it requires control of breathing. Although
she could not swim the full length of an Olympic-size
pool without stopping until she was twelve, Amy kept
swimming and fell in love with the sport.
By the time she entered Cherry Creek High School,
Van Dyken was six feet tall and a self-described “nerd,”
who was shunned by other swimmers on the high school
team. They called her too slow, threw her clothes in the
pool, and spit at her. But Van Dyken, with her strong
competitive drive, overcame the insults and worked
harder. By her junior year, she was the star of Cherry
Creek’s swim team, earning six All-American honors,
setting three state records, and breaking five school
V
Amy Van Dyken
records. She was named Colorado Swimmer of the Year
and was sought by colleges throughout the West.
Success in College
Beginning her career at the University of Arizona,
Tucson, in 1991, Van Dyken barely missed making the
1992 U.S. Olympic team as a freshman, when she finished
fourth in the 50-meter freestyle swim. However,
she went on to win silver medals at the 1992 U.S. Swimming
Championships and took a second and a third
place at the 1993 National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Swimming Championships. She earned
All-American honors fourteen times while at Arizona
but was not happy with her progress there and trans-
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