Numb toes and legs were the immediate effects to Olympic star swimmer Amy Van Dyken after she ruptured her spine in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident last weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The six-time Olympic gold medalist was immediately airlifted to Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center where she underwent a spine surgery. The hospital management refused to give details on the injuries of the swimmer but in a report by Chron, Van Dyken was in a "good" condition as of Monday afternoon.

In a letter released by the athlete's family, it was mentioned that Van Dyken severed her spinal cord which almost rupture her aorta.

Chron quoted a part of the letter saying "Amy awoke within hours of surgery acting like her typical spunky, boisterous, ebullient self and has spent the last 24 hours entertaining her family and her medical staff in the ICU."

The Show Low Police Department also reported that the swimmer was thrown more than a meter off her ATV after she hit a curb at a restaurant parking lot. She was later discovered lying on the pavement next to the vehicle.

A witness told AP that he immediately went toward the victim who was driving without a helmet when he saw her fall from the ATV.

The athlete's husband, Tom Rouen, told the authorities that he changed the accelerator of the ATV days before the incident but the police are still investigating if the upgrade was to be blamed for the accident. 

Prayers for recovery for the 42-year-old swimmer flooded social media especially Twitter. Fellow American swimmer Missy Franklin said on her twitter account that it was "hard" hearing about the horrific accident and that she is "continuously praying for her and her family."

Van Dyken bagged four gold medals (50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4×100m freestyle relay, and 4×100m medley relay,) at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Yahoo Sports reported. She also won two gold medals in the relay events at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

According to Sports Reference, Van Dyken has been swimming professionally since 1994 and made history in the years that followed with her victories. She was later inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Sports Reference added that the swimmer is known for spitting into the lanes of her biggest opponents. She also got interrogated in the steroids scandal that also included basepall player Barry Bonds and track and field athlete Marion Jones.