Olympian partners with Angel MedFlight
US six-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has announced that she will be teaming up with US-based Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance for 2018.
US six-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has announced that she will be teaming up with US-based Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance for 2018.
Van Dyken-Rouen won medals for the US during the 1996 and 2000 summer Olympic games, becoming the first American woman to receive four medals in one games. In 2014 she was paralysed from the waist down after an all-terrain vehicles (ATV) accident. Van Dyken-Rouen’s positive attitude and determination led her to set up Amy’s Army, an organisation that improves the lives of those with spinal cord injuries. She has been a powerful champion for the patient community she calls ‘differently-abled’.
“I really believe my accident happened so that I can be an example of never giving up and always moving straight ahead," said Amy Van Dyken-Rouen. "I'm proud to help that message reach even further with Angel MedFlight because they are so special in what they do and how they do it. They didn't care that I was a six-time Olympic gold medallist, or that my husband had won two Super Bowl rings. Whoever you are, they're going to do whatever is right for you.”
Angel MedFlight transported Van Dyken-Rouen to Craig Hospital in 2014 for her rehabilitation, and the company says that it is ready to support her ongoing efforts in patient advocacy.
“We understand the value of perseverance and patient advocacy, and we couldn't find a champion who embodies these qualities more than Amy Van Dyken-Rouen,” said Andrew Bess, Angel MedFlight's chief operating officer. “It's an honour for the Angel MedFlight team to collaborate with Amy to inspire healthcare professionals, patients, and their families and to share why every moment counts.”
The Olympian features front-and-centre in Angel MedFlight’s new advertisement campaign, named ‘Every Moment Counts’, and the company also plans to host the speaker at the annual American Case Management Association conference in Houston, US, later this year.