Unstoppable: A Conversation with Amy Purdy on Perseverance & Passion
Amy Purdy, Paralympian and author of On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life
Meet Amy Purdy: an indomitable spirit. You may have heard her iconic name when she toured with Oprah Winfrey, dazzled the Dancing with the Stars ballroom with partner Derek Hough as the first amputee dancer, soared through the air as a paralympic snowboarder, or simply through her embodiment of perseverance, serving as an inspiration to all. Through her journey, she has taught me the invaluable lesson of continuing to move forward even in the darkest of times. Amy’s unwavering determination and resilience prove that no obstacle is insurmountable.
On March 18th, 2024, I had the unbelievable opportunity to fulfill a dream of mine and interview Amy. My intention was simply to ask Amy about the secret to resilience and how she inspires students to persevere and get back up again.
Beginning our interview, I asked Amy what inspired her to follow her dreams of becoming a snowboarder and a genuine inspiration to others, to which she replied:
“So I would say that I did not set out to be this influential, inspirational person. Actually, I didn’t even set out to be a Paralympic athlete or to be speaking on stages, but I really did follow my passions, which lead to where I am now. I think that is especially important for kids to know that when you follow your heart, your passion, that is when the path unfolds and you end up going to a place you never expected to go.”
Continuing, Amy expressed, “I started snowboarding when I was fifteen years old. I fell in love with it. Before finding snowboarding, I never really knew where I fit in. My sister was that stereotypical, pretty, popular cheerleader, so I was always known as ‘Crystal Purdy’s sister’ and I was like, ‘I have a name too!’” Reminiscing, Amy continued, “I met this group of kids who invited me to go snowboarding, and I just fell in love with it. I loved being outside. I loved using my body. I loved being around these people. It just fired me up. From there, I got a ski pass and started skiing practically every weekend. I loved it for the sake of loving it. Not to be a professional snowboarder. I just loved it. To be honest, everything started because I followed my passion for snowboarding and that opened doors that I could have not ever expected.”
Following, I asked Amy if she could provide the backstory behind her personal journey and book, On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life, to which she replied:
“So, I thought I knew where my life was heading. You know, I thought that I was going to travel the world and snowboard, but my parents were like, ‘you need to find a way to make a living!’, so I decided to learn how to be a massage therapist because it was a very flexible job that allowed me to move across the country to snowboard. So, I started working for this spa. It was great, but then, all of a sudden, my life took a detour. I started to feel sick one day, I was at work, and my neck started to feel achy, so I went home. Within 24 hours, I was in the hospital, on life-support, given less than a 2% chance of living, and it didn’t end up being the flu. It ended up being something called, Meningococcal Meningitis, and we have no idea how I got it, it spreads like the flu or the cold. It is a very rare bacteria to get. So, I ended up fighting for my life in the hospital for about two and a half months. I ended up losing my spleen, I lost my kidney function, I lost the hearing in my left ear, and I ended up losing both of my legs below my knees. My life completely changed. I really did think I was going to travel the world and snowboard while being a massage therapist, I thought I had it all figured out. Then, all of a sudden, I was in a hospital bed and in a wheelchair with no legs and no idea what I would be able to do for the rest of my life.”
With passion, Amy continued, “I went on a mission to figure it out. All I could really do is take everything one step at a time, and just keep going. I visualized myself snowboarding again, and I didn’t know how I would do it because there were no prosthetic feet for snowboarding. Actually, I ended up calling all of these companies around the country asking them if they made prosthetic feet for snowboarding, which they didn’t, so I had to make my own. From there, I started snowboarding again! I really wanted to help others with disabilities to fall in love with snowboarding because it made me feel so alive, so I wanted others to enjoy that feeling as well. So, with that, my now husband and I created an organization called, Adaptive Action Sports, so that we could help other people with disabilities snowboard and see what’s out there. I met a great group of people with this organization, and we got to host these incredible events truly enjoying snowboarding without any limits. We ended up growing this organization so much that we ended up pushing snowboarding to enter the Paralympics in 2014 after many years of effort and perseverance. I even got to participate in the Paralympics myself, and my life took off. I never could have imagined my life would ever take off in this direction, but because I became the ‘face’ for Paralympian snowboarding, I was suddenly on billboards for Coke-a-Cola, Coke-a-Cola cans, cereal boxes, magazine covers, T.V. commercials; it was just like crazy fame in a weird way.”
Amy continued by saying, “I ended up winning a Bronze Medal at the Paralympics to then appear on Dancing with the Stars right afterwards within 72 hours! They actually saw my billboard of me snowboarding, and they reached out to me to come on the show! So, 72 hours after receiving my medal, I was in Los Angeles dancing the cha-cha-cha with my partner Derek Hough!”
Segueing, I wanted asked Amy what her experience was like to be on Dancing with the Stars and what lessons she learned from the experience.She replied:
“The show taught me SO much! I learned how capable I am, but how capable we all are. You really do not know until you are forced to find that resilience and forced to just keep going. Because it was a live show, it was really hard for me to dance on two prosthetic legs. There were times where we didn’t even have the right feet for our dances because there were no prosthetic feet for dancing, but we were so determined to figure out every obstacle, and every Monday night we would actually leap over those challenges and get through it. It really taught me that if you are committed, you will always find a way! I am actually still very close with Derek Hough and his entire family. He was the greatest partner! I was recently at his wedding! I mean the entire cast of the show, I still talk to here and there. After being on the show together, everyone kind of just becomes a family to you.”
Moving on, I asked Amy what is is like to work with such inspirational individuals, to which she answered:
“Well, it inspires me. To be able to work with people who are living their passions, living their dreams, while also helping people, I think that is what makes people inspiring. It has rubbed off on me for sure. Actually, after Dancing with the Stars, I ended up working with Oprah. She is my icon. I am inspired by the work she does. I went on a speaking tour with her around the country. Truly a dream!” Continuing she said “Going back to my book, On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life, I wrote my book in six weeks and then went on my speaking tour with Oprah, and she was definitely a big part of launching the book. I mean, I have been able to work with so many different people who inspire me like other athletes who have disabilities. I feel lucky to be friends with people who are achieving incredible things and going through incredible challenges at the same time, inspiring me to keep going.”
Continuing, I asked Amy, my role model, who her role model would be.She replied:
“I always go back to one of my biggest role models who was my friend, Bibian Mentel. She was a competitive snowboarder, who I competed against during my snowboarding career, and she had one prophetic leg, and she battled cancer for fifteen years, but she was also an incredible snowboarder winning Gold Medals! I always looked up to her because she lived her life so presently and so full even though she knew she was on a limited timeline. It was like, if she wasn’t having a surgery or she wasn’t recovering, she was out on mountain tops snowboarding, helping other people through her organization. She simply lived life to its fullest. So, when I think about who my role model is, it is to live life just like she did. To live a really good life, even with challenging circumstances. To me, I look up to people who not only live their passions but live presently, fully, and who help others along the way, and that is what Bibian did.” Unfortunately, Bibian Mentel passed away in 2021. However, it’s important to remember the legacy she left behind—a legacy of perseverance, resilience, and finding beauty in life’s challenges, while living life to its fullest.
Continuing, I asked Amy what advice she would grant her high school self if she could go back in time. Without hesitation, she responded:
“Life is challenging. When challenges come your way, that does not mean that it dictates your life’s path, it is part of life. If you continue to put one foot in front of the other, that will take you to amazing places. Learn from every challenge you go through. There is nothing more human than adversity. Adversity is when you learn about yourself the most. Lean into the things you love because that is what creates your life. That is where the path will unfold for you. Look at challenges as a necessity in life, that is what will make you grow.”
Nearing the end of our interview, I asked Amy why she would consider herself an advocate, to which she readily replied:
“When it comes to advocating for people with disabilities, being out there showing what the possibilities are, sharing my journey and my story, being an example has been a way for me to be an advocate. It is important to be a voice for change. For me, when it comes to advocating for the price of prosthetics and informing others of the cost for legs, it is really important for me to share my voice.” Additionally, Amy informed me of an organization that helps with HealthCare for those with prosthetics called The Amputee Coalition of America, so please feel free to check it out!
To conclude our interview, I asked Amy if she could provide me with a fun fact or two about herself that people may or may not know about. Amy laughingly replied:
“Actually, it is really funny, but some of my all-time favorite movies are either zombie movies or alien movies! Not like the Sci-Fi ones, but like the really realistic ones, haha!” Amy added, “In high school, I realized that I had something called Synthesia, it is like a crossing of your senses. So, like, when someone says a letter, I associate that letter with a color. For example, when someone says the letter ‘C’, I often see yellow, or like, if someone says the letter ‘A’, I see the color blue, and ‘B’ is green!” Giggling, Amy added, “sometimes I think it adds to my creativity!”
I would like to personally thank Amy Purdy for being a true hero and an inspiration. You have taught me not only to keep going but to embrace the inconveniences in life. Your resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit have shown me that obstacles are merely stepping stones on the path to greatness. You truly are a shining star, illuminating the way for others with your courage and grace. Thank you for being an advocate and a beacon of hope for countless individuals around the world. I am inspired by your journey, and I will continue to cheer you on as you continue to inspire. Thank you again for fulfilling my dream to talk to you about your story. You are simply so special. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Mia learning more about Amy via Zoom on March 18, 2024.
