Paralyzed Friend Of Amy Van Dyken Rouen Will Help Her With Recovery

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) Fans and friends are already offering their support for Amy Van Dyken Rouen, including one man who used to swim on the same swimming club as Van Dyken Rouen.

Van Dyken Rouen suffered a broken back and severed her spine in an ATV accident in Arizona last weekend.

Dave Denniston knows what Van Dyken Rouen is going through, and he knows she will meet the challenge head on.

Dave Denniston (credit: Dave Denniston)

Shell be fine. I just know shell be fine, Denniston told CBS4s Kathy Walsh.

Denniston has no doubt about the fight in his friend.

She has 65 percent lung capacity and she won four gold medals, he said.

Denniston and Van Dyken Rouen both swam as teenagers for the Greenwood Tiger Sharks. That was when Van Dyken Rouen was headed for the Olympics and Denniston could still walk.

After the Olympic trials in 2004 I broke my back, he said.

Denniston was a world record holder, a 15-time All-American, but he didnt make the Olympics. Then he hit a tree while sledding.

I was just grateful to be alive.

Denniston was paralyzed, but he got back in the pool. He became a paralympian and then head coach. Still, hearing about Van Dyken Rouens accident from her sister threw him.

It was really something almost surreal for me because I started crying and I couldnt understand it. I was just baffled and I was like, Wait a minute, youre in this situation, you didnt want people crying for you, Denniston said.

Van Dyken Rouen was Dennistons inspiration. Now he will be hers.

Literally hitting the tree knocked some sense into me to where I was like, Lets look at some of these positive things and really embrace the positive things.

Van Dyken Rouens upbeat tweets already show shes focused on the future with her family and friends by her side.

Amy Van Dyken Rouen (credit; Twitter)

I sent her a message this morning. I said, Are you feeling loved yet? Welcome to the best part of this injury. The best part is the love and support will never go away, especially from those of us who call you friend.

Van Dyken Rouen is getting well wishes from all over the world. Denniston says her biggest challenge may be helping her family get through it. But he believes Van Dyken Rouen will lead a remarkable life and change a lot of peoples views of disability and paralysis.

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Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/06/10/paralyzed-friend-of-amy-van-dyken-rouen-will-help-her-with-recovery/