A thankful, excited, emotional Amy Van Dyken-Rouen was cut loose from rehabilitation at Craig Hospital on Thursday — and the world champion swimmer is looking forward to new conquests.
“I can’t wait to get out in the world,” a smiling Van Dyken-Rouen said during a noon news conference at the hospital.
The six-time Olympic gold medalist, who severed her spine in an ATV accident, said she now feels “1,000 times better” than when she arrived at the Englewood hospital in June.
Motivated by Craig staff and patients, as well as a desire to walk again, Van Dyken-Rouen said she has worked extremely hard since being admitted June 18.
“This is not easy,” she said. “There have been tears.”
Van Dyken-Rouen talked about how she got in the swimming pool at Craig — just wanting to swim laps, instead of concentrating on what needed to be done as part of her treatment.
“Changing the way I go about the world, … that is what I have learned here,” she said.
The self-proclaimed “wheelie-queen” is looking forward to getting home and reacquainting herself with simple pleasures, such as sleeping next to her dog, a yellow Labrador, so she can hear the beast “snoring in my ear.”
While in rehab, Van Dyken-Rouen was extremely active on social media, posting photos and updates for family, friends, fans and the media.
Thursday morning, Van Dyken-Rouen tweeted: “Just said good bye to my night techs. I’m so excited to leave, but so sad to leave the people at @CraigHospital.”
She hashtagged the post: #idontlikegoodbye.
At the news conference, Van Dyken-Rouen said she’ll continue on social media.
Among the toughest elements of her life going forward, she said, is the uncertainty surrounding severe spinal injuries.
She said she has asked the question: “Will I ever walk again?” And she’s frustrated by the answer: “I don’t know.”
She plans to be active in raising awareness about spinal-cord injuries, especially those that have “no cure.”
“I’d love to see a cure for this sometime in my lifetime,” she said. “I know we will.”
Van Dyken-Rouen’s husband, Tom Rouen, a former Denver Broncos punter, was by her side Thursday, as he has been daily since the accident near their Arizona home. The couple joked about Amy looking forward to driving after she leaves the hospital.
“It scares me a little,” Tom Rouen said.
“But it did before — that’s nothing new,” Van Dyken-Rouen quickly added.
Tom said he’s not surprised by Amy’s attitude, determination and effort since the accident.
“It’s just what we do,” he said. “As athletes, we just get up every day and work hard. That is what we are taught over our whole lives.”
Van Dyken-Rouen, a Cherry Creek High graduate, was the first American woman to win four gold medals in one Olympiad, the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she earned two more gold medals — in the 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay.
Van Dyken-Rouen on Thursday referred to herself as a “proud paraplegic.”
She admitted that her life is now filled with new challenges, but she’s feeling “empowered.”
“I want to try everything, I want to do everything,” she said. “Fly, free bird, fly!”
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson
