Olympic Gold Medalist to Deliver Tomorrow’s Closing Keynote at VPPPA Safety+ Symposium

Six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken Rouen will share lessons on pushing performance beyond limits during the closing keynote on Wednesday.

The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) is hosting its 2024 Safety+ Symposium this week, and a key element of the 40th anniversary of the event is its lineup of speakers. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, August 28, the symposium will close with a keynote luncheon featuring six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken Rouen.

 

Van Dyken Rouen’s keynote will close the event with a powerful call to push beyond expectations. Scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Van Dyken Rouen will discuss how safety professionals can exceed personal and performance expectations.

 

A Colorado native, Van Dyken Rouen became the first American woman to win four gold medals in a single Olympics during the 1996 Summer Games, a feat that made her the most decorated athlete of that year. She went on to secure two more golds at the 2000 Summer Olympics, cementing her status as a swimming legend. Van Dyken Rouen has since been inducted into both the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

 

In her keynote, Van Dyken Rouen will share stories from her Olympic journey and offer insights on overcoming limits, a message that resonates with the theme of continuous improvement at the heart of the VPPPA. 

 

“I know you are a passionate group of people dedicated to continuous improvement and, of course, always pushing yourselves and your workplaces to be better today than you were yesterday,” Van Dyken Rouen said. “I’ve had a lot of people in my life tell me where they thought my limit was and what they thought I couldn’t do, and I have to say, it feels so good to prove them wrong.”

 

Held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, CO, Safety+ 2024 has brought together safety professionals from across industries to explore the latest in safety innovation and best practices.

About the Author

David Kopf is the publisher and executive editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.

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