CONVERSATIONS WITH AMY PURDY
B Y M A E M A Ñ AC A P - J O H N S O N
At just 19 years of age, AMY PURDY was rushed to the hospital in a state of
septic shock after suffering flu-like symptoms. Doctors diagnosed her with
Meningococcal Meningitis. Due to resulting blood circulation problems, doctors
were forced to amputate both of her legs below the knee. After going through this
life-altering experience, Purdy challenged herself to move on with her life and
attain goals that even most full-bodied people struggle to accomplish. Three
months after a kidney transplant, she entered the United States of America
Snowboard Association (USASA) National Snowboarding Championship
where she won medals in three events. Today, she is one of the top ranked adaptive snowboarders in
the world, and was the 2014 Paralympic Bronze Medalist. In the years since her surgery, Purdy has performed on Dancing with Stars, written a book, pursued a modeling and acting career and inspired
countless people on the inspirational speaking circuit. This October, she will share her story as a General
Session speaker at the 2015 ISPA Conference & Expo.
PULSE: What was your emotional, mental and physical
to snowboard and I absolutely fell in love with it! I
knew from that point forward snowboarding
experience when you first realized that you lost both
WIN A
would be a major part of my life.
your legs to Meningococcal Meningitis?
ED COPY
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IG
S
Amy Purdy: You might think that it was devastating,
PA
AT THE IS N
IO
P: You said when you survived the
and certainly it was the biggest challenge I have yet faced
T
A
D
FOUN
!
S
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T
C
disease you were driven by one quesin my life, but I remember being grateful for what I did
AU
tion: “If my life was a book and I was the
have. By the time I actually lost my legs, which was weeks
author, how would I want the story to go?”
after I was first admitted to the hospital,
Looking back now, how would the first sentence
I expected it: I could see that my legs
of your personal story read?
were in bad shape. But there was a time
P: That’s easy, because last year I actually did write a
that my hands and other organs, and of
book about my life called On My Own Two Feet: From
course my life, were all in serious jeopardy.
Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life. The
So I actually was quite grateful to have
first sentence reads, “My day was over.” It gets
come through it all as well as I did. Maybe
better!
that’s a “glass half full” perspective, but
things could have been worse.
P: On a daily basis, what gives you the
courage to face your fears?
P: What sparked your love for snowP: When you’ve had one foot over the threshold
boarding?
of death there is really not much left to be truly
P: My mom and dad used to take my sister
afraid of. I’m not driven by fear, rather I’m driven by a passion
and me on ski trips to southern Utah, which
for wanting to do all of the things I want to do with my life in
was about a three-hour drive from our home in Las Vegas. I
whatever time I have left, which I know can be taken away at
always knew that I loved the snow and the mountains but was
any minute.
never very passionate about skiing. When I was 15 years old, a
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 28)
few of my friends who were skateboarders invited me to Utah
26 PULSE
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August 2015