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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, April 17-19, 2019 B-7 The Park Record Paralyzed Olympic gold-winning swimmer learns to love skiing again #1 Title Company 2018 Van Dyken adapts on Breckenridge chairlifts ANTONIO OLIVERO Summit Daily BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. – As Amy Van Dyken rode up the Quicksilver chairlift at Breckenridge Ski Resort on Saturday, she described her mindset in the wake of a 2014 ATV accident that left her paralyzed. And, while relaying her experience, the American Olympic champion swimmer caught herself mid-sentence. “I kind of felt like I wanted to do everything,” Van Dyken said. “But, at the same time, I knew that I was going to be limited — pardon me — I thought I was going to be limited.” On June 6, 2014, Van Dyken, a native of Denver who won a combined six gold medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, became paralyzed when her ATV careened over a 6-foot cliff near her home in Arizona. While riding up the chairlift at Breckenridge’s Peak 9 on Saturday, Van Dyken recalled how the ATV fell on her twice during the accident. The nature of the accident resulted in a Flight For Life helicopter transporting Van Dyken to a trauma center, as one of her vertebra nearly punctured her aorta. “My doctor actually told me later that he shut down that trauma center and any trauma center he could have been called to,” Van Dyken said. “And I thought it was because I won gold medals and he was like, ‘No, it was because it was that bad.’ It was that close to being a pretty life-threatening type of deal. So that’s what happened. But, here I am.” ANTONIO OLIVERO/SUMMIT DAILY American Olympic champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken (seated) poses for a photograph on Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 9 while skiing with the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center’s Jeff Inouye and Will Targy on Saurday in Breckenridge. Here Van Dyken was on Saturday in a sit-ski on the Quicksilver chairlift at Breckenridge, riding alongside Jeff Inouye and Will Targy of the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center. It was Inouye who three years ago convinced Van Dyken to give skiing with the BOEC a try after her accident. A lifelong athlete, Van Dyken and her husband, former Denver Broncos punter Tom Rouen, had skied routinely at Keystone Resort before the accident via their ski-in, sit-out home. But, after the ATV accident, Van Dyken initially doubted Inouye’s idea she’d be able to ski again. “There was a little depression,” Van Dyken said of the aftermath of the injury. “I made my life with my body. And, now, all of a sudden I thought it was less than.” But Van Dyken said she soon learned “it was not less than.” Not soon after the accident, she picked up CrossFit. With the help of Inouye, she skied again, via a BOEC sit-ski setup. Van Dyken has also taken up rock climbing and water skiing, as well. And, in a few months, she’ll compete at the CrossFit Games. When Van Dyken first tried skiing three years ago with Inouye and the BOEC, she said, she felt free again as an athlete. One of the country’s greatest alltime swimmers, Van Dyken was candid in sharing that when she returned to the water after her accident, she didn’t feel that same sporting sensibility. Returning to the snow, on the other hand, felt special. “It’s so interesting,” Van Dyken said. “People say when you are paralyzed to go in the pool and you feel free and you feel light. But when I got on the mountain, that’s where I feel free and light and fast.” This past weekend, Van Dyken spent three days with the BOEC continuing to sharpen her sit-skiing skills, something she’s done each of the past three years. In terms of relearning how to ski, Van Dyken said though it’s been a learning curve, the principles of sit-skiing are very similar to having success in the pool. And, for her, it’s centered around not trying too hard physically. “When you start swimming you think you need to muscle through it,” she said. “And then, when you figure out you actually need to relax most of your stroke, that’s what most of the best swimmers do. It’s the same thing in skiing. So I’ve been applying that a little bit.” She’s progressing so well that Van Dyken said Saturday was her first post-ski morning waking up without soreness in her forearms. She credited it to the BOEC’s helping her realize she needed to chill out more in her approach to sit-skiing. But, on a sit-ski, that’s sometimes easier said than done. Inouye explained how an athlete like Van Dyken is controlling everything from the waist up. With that, it can feel like all of that upper-body and core control comes down to raw strength and muscling the sitski around. But once they start to relax and let the ski do what it’s designed for, all they need to do is put their body in the right position. As Inouye and Targy trailed Van Dyken on the Silverthorne ski trail on Saturday, Van Dyken was doing just that. She smiled all the way down the mountain not only content with this newest chapter in her athletic life, but thriving within it. “I do more now than I did when I was able-bodied,” Van Dyken said. “Because, if I failed before, people would be like, ‘Oh, I thought you were an athlete.’ Where, now, they say, ‘good for you for trying, honey!’” Some of the pets at Nuzzles & Co. looking for love These animals are available to be seen at the Nuzzles & Co. Adoption Center and Rescue Ranch. Our Adoption Center is open Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is located in the Tanger Outlets in Kimball Junction. Our Rescue Ranch is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday. The Rescue Ranch is located at 6466 N. Highview Road in Peoa. Arya Rogue Rudy Sage Meet Arya, a 1-year-old Boxer mix! This spunky girl’s going to need a lot of physical and mental activity to keep her happy and feeling great! She loves to play and go on hikes. Arya would do best in a home with older children and can be selective about the people she likes. Rogue is a 4-year-old cattle dog mix. She is a little timid at first but then warms up and is great! She prefers to be an only pet so she can have all of your attention. She will need daily exercise and obedience training to channel her herding breed instincts. Meet Rudy, an adorable 5-yearold pitty with a hippo head. He loves to roll over for belly rubs and is potty trained. Rudy is a big goofball and loves to play, play, play! He does well with other dogs but prefers a home without cats. Sage is a cattle dog mix and is about a year old. She can be a bit shy but really is very sweet! She loves to go on walks and play in the yard, and she does well with other dogs. Sage jumps up for hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle. Emma Gizmo Pistol Annie Sand Emma is a gentle and friendly senior lady who has lots of love to give. This beautiful 9-yearold Domestic Shorthair has a soft black coat and green eyes that are full of wisdom. She is looking for a loving home where she can bask in the sun and relax with her people. Gizmo is a beautiful 8-monthold kitten who has a permanent “boop” on her cute, little nose! She’s a happy and playful girl who loves to explore! Gizmo is looking for a loving forever home where she can spend lots of time snuggling and playing with her family. Pistol Annie is a 5-year-old tortoiseshell who needs a loving family to make her feel safe and boost her confidence. This shy girl has lots of love to give and just needs to find the right person with home to share it. A little TLC will help her sweet personality blossom! Sand is a buff tabby Domestic Shorthair who is about 8 years old. She’s a shy girl, but with a little love and TLC, we know that she will open up and let her beautiful personality shine. She’s a gentle and quiet cat who is just looking for someone to love. Wanted: Volunteers These Organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words Nuzzles & Co. Nuzzles & Co. is looking for volunteers to help furry friends waiting for adoption. This local nonprofit needs people to walk dogs, socialize with the animals, and assist with pet care and cleanup. Shifts are available at the Tanger Outlets adoption center from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and at the Rescue & Rehab Ranch from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information contact Nuzzles & Co. at 649-5441 or visit nuzzlesandco.org. Park City Medical Center Park City Medical Center needs volunteers 14 to 114 years old who want to work in a welcoming environment, stay busy with a variety of tasks, and have fun on the job. If you’d like to put your talents and skills to good use and help out a valuable community resource, please contact the volunteer manager at lisa. graham@imail.org. Park City Museum Do you love history and Park City? Are you interested in furthering your involvement in the community? The Park City Museum needs volunteers to help install and take down traveling exhibits, catalog and process collection items, assist in the Research Library, lead both adult tours and school group programs, and assist as gallery guides. Please contact Jenette Purdy at the Park City Museum for more information: 435-6497457 or education@parkcityhistory.org. Park City READS Park City READS (Recognizing, Educating and Advocating for Dyslexic Students) promotes elevating literacy through early identification of struggling readers, effective reading interventions, and appropriate classroom accommodations. Park City READS helps people navigate through diagnostic testing, school interventions, tutoring, and technology resources. Membership is free and open to the public. For information about volunteer opportunities, contact ParkCityREADS@gmail.com or search for PC READS on Facebook. For a full list of volunteer opportunities, visit parkrecord.com/ volunteers Committed To NARI TROTTER STEFANIE BOWEN (435) 649-8322 theteam@parkcitytitle.com 1670 Bonanza Drive • Park Record Building |