Amy Van Dyken: 'I Am Still Going To Do Amazing Things'

DENVER (CBS4)- "Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" A question Amy Van Dyken-Rouen has asked throughout her life.

From being diagnosed with asthma at an early age, to winning six gold medals in swimming at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, to now rehabbing to walk again after an ATV accident last June left her paralyzed from the waist down.

Speaking at a luncheon for Bayaud Enterprises, a Denver organization that helps people with disabilities and other barriers find meaningful employment, Van Dyken-Rouen used a combination of humor and inspiration to deliver a powerful message.

"Don't let them tell you, what you can and can't do."

"This isn't the end of the world," Van Dyken-Rouen told CBS4 about her accident. "I'm still going to be able to do amazing things, and I am."

Hard to argue with that.

Van Dyken Rouen says since her accident she has grown from being an Olympic champion, to being a champion of life. She has chosen to share her road to recovery with the world, posting updates on social media, doing countless interviews and keeping a very busy speaking schedule, all with the hope it will inspire others facing injuries similar to hers.

"I have heard from my doctor that people have said to him, 'well if Amy can do it, I know I can do it'," Van Dyken-Rouen said.

And Amy is doing it. She said she can now do all the movements that make up walking – knee bends, core stability, quad movement and hamstring strength to pull her leg back - and just learned this week she will soon be fitted for leg braces.

"This is happening," Van Dyken-Rouen said about walking. "My doctor has told me 'I don't know how you are doing the things you are doing, I've seen your spine, you shouldn't be doing the things you are doing'."

But she is, and says she is having a blast along the way.

"I am having a riot," she says about her busy schedule. "I am having so much fun and to speak and get the energy back is great. If you think you are going to have fun, go have fun, who cares?"

Mark Haas is CBS4's weekend sports anchor and sports reporter. Read his bio or follow him on Twitter @markhaastv or on Facebook.