Van Dyken Recovering From Surgery
By Phillip Whitten
1996 U.S. Olympic hero Amy Van Dyken underwent successful shoulder surgery today in Denver to remove excess scar tissue around her right rotator cuff. The surgery was performed by Drs. Ted Schlegel and Richard Hawkins.
Van Dyken, who had undergone successful surgery more than a year ago, reinjured her shoulder at the World Cup meet in Maryland last November and had been swimming in pain ever since.
Van Dyken underwent the surgery expecting rehab to take eight to twelve weeks. She expects to be back in the water in March.
“I’ll be fine,” said Van Dyken just before undergoing surgery. I’ll be at the Columbine (High School) swim meet on Saturday (January 8), cheering them on.” Van Dyken, fiance Tom Rouen, and other top Denver-area athletes have quietly been supporting the student-athletes at Columbine ever since the shooting tragedy at that school last year.