ARIZONA, USA — As we celebrate Women's History Month, a Paralympic trailblazer is making history of her own.
Amy Purdy is the only double-leg amputee to compete at the elite world-class level. She started her career at 30 years old. Now, at 42 years old, she recently retired.
At 19, her legs were amputated after she contracted meningitis. Back then, she never imagined she would be a part of history.
“You never know what's going to happen if you can believe and you can, like see yourself doing it, then then it's possible no matter what age you are,” said Purdy.
Purdy has always paved her own way. “I created opportunities that didn't exist,” said Purdy.
Being in the snow had always been a hobby for Purdy, but her amputation made her love it.
“That's what helped me get through the darkest days of my life because I just kept thinking, 'I want to snowboard again. I'm not sure how, but I'm dedicated to figuring out a way.' It forced me to get creative,” said Purdy.
When she decided to ski again, she created her own pair of snowboard feet to get her prosthetics on the board.
“Once I realized what I could do, I thought, you know, we need to get snowboarding into the Paralympic games,” said Purdy.
“That's when I dedicated myself to the sport. That's when I dedicated myself to being the best mentally, physically, emotionally that I could be,” said Purdy.
Purdy continues to open doors for others with her non-profit adaptive action sports, which helps the disabled participate in sports.
“I didn't know snowboarding was my purpose. When I lost my legs. I just knew that it was my passion. But then, when I was able to help others through it, it became my purpose,” said Purdy.
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