Amy Van Dyken
1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta
4 gold medals
2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney
2 gold medal
Asthma
 a disease of the airways
 airway swell and become narrow making it hard for
breathing.
 17 million Americans suffer from asthma
 Seventh ranking chronic condition
Excessive mucus clog bronchial tubes
TREATMENT USING BRONCHODILATORS
VOCABULARY 1
 Stretcher: Trainers have to carry her off on a stretcher.
A light frame made from two long holes with a cover of soft
material stretched between them, used for carrying people
who are ill, injured, dead.
 Huff & puff: Climbing
To breathe loudly, usually after physical exercise
 Spat-past tense of spit
To say something quickly & angrily
 Vowed – past tense of vow
Promise to do something
VOCABULARY
 Strokes: Amy strokes furiously.
Moves the arms & legs to swim
 Awkward: She was also awkward, skinny-six feet tall!
clumsy
COMPREHENSION
 What happens first in the article? SEQUENCE
Amy swims at the Olympics
 What happens next? SEQUENCE
Amy falls to the pool deck & becomes ill.
THINK IT THROUGH
 What happened to Amy after she lost the event?
Her muscles cramped & she fell on the deck.
 How did Amy react to the actions of her high school
teammates?
She vowed to make them respect her.
VOCABULARY
 Flopped (line 56)
To fall, not successful
 Junior nationals (line 53)
National competition for swimmers 19 & under who
need to record a qualifying time to compete in the
Olympic trials.
 Depressed (line 59)
Unhappy, sad
 All-out attitude (line 70)
complete and with as much effort as possible
VOCABULARY
 Paid off (line 70)




successful
On a roll (line 75)
To be having a successful or lucky period
Come back (line 81)
return
Ease up (line 82)
to gradually stop or become less
Let her teammates down (line 85)
disappoint
SEQUENCE
1. MAT
Match time order
The first event described in the story is the first thing that happened.
The second event in the story is the second thing happened.
Writers use words such as first, next, after, then, later
SEQUENCE
Robin decided to have a party. First,
she asked friends to come. Next,
she asked the brother’s band to
play. She cleaned the house. Then
she bought food. The night finally
came. Her friends had fun. They
talked about it for days!
SEQUENCE
Gabriel began skating when he was
six. He found a coach to help him.
Then he started to compete. He
began in his own city. Later he went
to bigger events. Now we watch
him on television. He hopes to win
a gold medal.
First thing
happened
Middle
event
To make readers
curious about earlier
events
Finish the
story
In time order
Events that
happened after
the exciting
events
AUTHOR’S
PURPOSE
Reason why he/she writes a particular writing
•To inform
•To express/share feelings or thoughts
•To persuade
•To entertain
SEQUENCE OF AMY’S CAREER
 1994: won bronze medal in world championships
 1995: broke U.S. records
 1996: made Olympic team
won four gold medals:
a.) 4x100m freestyle
b.) 100m butterfly
c.) 50m freestyle
d.) 4x100 m medley relay
THINK IT THROUGH
 How did Amy change?
She became depressed after not making the Olympic
team & losing in the national championships.
When she started swimming again, she changed her
attitude & tried very hard.
She became the leader of the Olympic team.
THINK IT THROUGH
 What record does Amy hold in the Olympics?
First American woman to win four gold medals in one
Olympics.
 What made Amy return to swimming after she
gave it up?
She missed it too much.
 What do you think the author’s message is?
Illness does not have to prevent one from achieving
goals.