Athletes Who’ve Changed the History of Women’s Sports for the Better
At just 19 years old, Amy Purdy lost both legs below the knee, her spleen, and hearing in her left ear after contracting bacterial meningitis.
Despite the immense change, she told NIH MedlinePlus Magazine in 2023 that “mentally, I adjusted right away to my new reality.” Purdy returned to her love of snowboarding just seven months later, and went on to compete at the 2014 Paralympic Games in 2014 in Sochi, bringing home the bronze medal for snowboard-cross standing, an event the International Paralympic Committee said she was “instrumental” in getting included in the games.
After her Olympic success, Purdy returned to the US to compete as the first double amputee on “Dancing With the Stars,” placing second with her partner Derek Hough. She also released her New York Times bestselling memoir, “On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs To Learning The Dance Of Life,” that same year.
Purdy returned to Olympic competition in 2018, competing in the Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang and winning a silver and bronze medal in the women’s snowboard cross SB-LL1 and women’s banked slalom SB-LL1 events, respectively.
Since retiring from the sport in 2022, Purdy has continued to work with her non-profit, Adaptive Action Sports, which she founded in 2005 with her now-husband Daniel Gale. The group works to help individuals with physical disabilities who want to get involved in action sports, art, or music.
When NIH MedlinePlus Magazine asked what the future holds for her, Purdy said that she wants to help others live a life as accomplished and fulfilled as hers. “I’m at the beginning of writing my second book, and I have plans to help people find their voice and use their own stories to impact the world,” she said.
