Watch CBS News

Van Dyken Joins Patients For Annual Boating Day

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Olympic swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen is joining about 50 other patients at her rehabilitation hospital for a day of boating near Denver.

They'll be riding small sailboats across Cherry Creek Reservoir as part of Craig Hospital's 35th annual Hobie Day on Friday. The outing is intended to show them what's possible after suffering catastrophic injuries and to test the skills they've been learning in real-world conditions.

An all-terrain vehicle accident in Arizona in June left Van Dyken-Rouen paralyzed just below the waist.

Earlier this week, the six-time Olympic gold medalist boasted on Twitter that she had finally graduated from a hospital bed to a regular bed. She also posted a photo of her sporty new wheelchair. It has purple rims and skulls etched into its metal bars.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.