This interview first appeared in the Sports Edition of Fat Nugs Magazine, released May 2024.
Amy Van Dyken-Rouen is a six-time Olympic gold-medalist swimmer and the most successful athlete at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She was named NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year in 1994. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Amy became the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics. Her success won her the ESPY’s Female Athlete of the Year and the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.
Amy won an additional two gold medals at the Sydney Games in 2000. She also held numerous American and world records throughout her career. After retiring from competitive swimming, Amy has served as a sports commentator, talk show host, and philanthropist and has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
In 2014, Amy was involved in a serious ATV accident leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. This is where her cannabis story begins.
An Interview with Amy Van Dyken-Rouen
How has cannabis benefited your athletic career?
I never used cannabis during my career. If I knew then what I know now… I would have known about the recovery, sleep, mental clarity, and anti-inflammatory benefits… who knows what else I could have accomplished.
When did you start consuming cannabis?
I was in a horrible ATV accident in 2014. I died, suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury), and a broken back… just to name a few injuries. I was in constant pain, and doctors kept prescribing opioids, muscle relaxers, and sleep aids like they were candy. How I’m still alive is beyond me. I was prescribed well over 150mg of Oxy, 15 mg of Ambien, and 800 mg of muscle relaxer a day!
One day, I realized this was killing me, so I got off with the help of my pain doctor. He said opioids don’t even help nerve pain! Once I was off [opioids], I found cannabis… and my life has never been better!
What’s your favorite way to consume?
I love my Puffco products or a nice bong!
Do you think your athletic career would be different without cannabis?
I’m not sure. I may not have had as many injuries as I had.
Does cannabis give you a competitive advantage?
Is it performance-enhancing? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But it can help aid in recovery!
Did you view cannabis differently after becoming injured?
Yes!! Now I know it IS medicine and we need to look at it as such. It’s just as important in my routine as my asthma meds. I would NEVER be allowed to go without those and the same is true for patients and their cannabis. We need to get people off Oxys and let them know there IS a better way! We also need to get cannabis into the hands of other patients who may not live where cannabis is legal.
What do you want other athletes to know about cannabis?
Check with your doctors, trainers, and coaches. If it’s on the banned list, which it probably is…. let’s all join together and try to change that!
