Amy Purdy Standing On My Own Two Feet

She inspired millions on Dancing With The Stars by proving nothing stands in the way of dreams coming true. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Amy Purdy In ON MY OWN TWO FEET: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life (William Morrow; December 30, 2014; $25.99 Hardcover), Amy Purdy tells the story of her near-death experience, her spiritual awakening, and her bold decision to embrace life and live it to the fullest as with two prosthetic legs. By sharing her story—not just the headlines, but the most intimate moments—with the world, Amy hopes to go beyond offering fleeting inspiration to others. She hopes to spark real change in their lives. Amy wants everyone with a hardship or hurdle to believe and live what she’s learned: “That each of us is far more capable than we could ever know. That what at first seems like a detour could turn out to be your destiny. That if you can just practice shifting your viewpoint, an overwhelming challenge can start looking more like a beautiful blessing.” “I’m sharing my story,” Amy impresses on her readers, “because I want you to see what’s possible in your own life. Right here. Right now.” Years before her epic transformation, Amy had an inkling that her life would be “something more” than ordinary. In June 1999, she met a stranger who asked her about “crossing over.” Sensing she would, he urged her: “Don’t be scared.” In July 1999, ravaged by meningitis, Amy felt her heart pounding so hard it took her breath away. Then, everything went black. “It was clear what had happened,” she reflects. “I’d died.” In this otherworldly realm, Amy saw three shadowy figures. “You can come with us, or you can stay,” they told her. If she returned, the beings informed her, she would face major challenges. However, they assured her: “No matter what happens in your life, it’s all going to make sense in the end.” In that moment, Amy chose to live. Soon, Amy faced her first major challenge. Due to the lack of circulation she had suffered when her organs shut down, doctors had to amputate her legs below the knee. As she was being wheeled into surgery, Amy made a mental list of three goals for her life after her recovery: 1. I will never feel sorry for myself...I am not a victim 2. I will snowboard again...I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I will find a way 3. I will help others...I want to show others that life does go on In ON MY OWN TWO FEET, Amy Purdy recounts how she kept her commitment to those goals—fighting physical pain, self-doubt, and daunting obstacles—and what she gained. Chapters capture: • Amy’s disappointment at seeing her new legs—bulky hunks of plastic with metal pipes down to yellow, rubber “feet”—and the agony of relearning to walk. Realizing she needed to make peace with these starter prosthetics as the first step to living her dreams, Amy shook off her depression and, in October 1999, proudly walked down the aisle at her sister’s wedding, as Maid of Honor. • Amy’s determination, complemented by ingenuity, to snowboard with two prosthetics, which eventually led her to not only win a bronze medal as a Paralympic Athlete, but also to create an organization to help others with permanent disabilities experience the thrill of action sports. • The crushing setback of undergoing kidney transplant surgery, a week before her 21st birthday, and how her father’s generous gift of a healthy kidney filled Amy with vitality, a fresh zest for life, and a profound sense of gratitude. • The unexpected opportunities that led Amy to find her calling as a motivational speaker; to find her passion—and talent—as a dancer, cha-cha-ing her way to national fame and the runner-up spot on Dancing With the Stars; and to meet her inspirational role model, Oprah Winfrey...plus much more. Throughout, Amy reinforces her belief in the power of visualization, positive thinking, and refusing to accept society’s labels and limitations. Above all, as she shares, Amy believes in the universal, life-affirming force of love. In the final chapter of ON MY OWN TWO FEET, Amy Purdy reflects: “My legs haven’t disabled me. If anything, they’ve enabled me. They’ve planted my feet on the spiritual path I was meant to walk. They’ve forced me to get creative. They’ve taught me that when I fall down, I can either lie there and wallow in my misstep, or I can use the experience as fuel for growth. I may have lost the legs of flesh and bone that I was born with, but these legs of carbon fiber and rusted bolts have taken me to amazing places...Each morning, I wake up grateful for another chance to add a page to my adventure.” ABOUT AMY PURDY AMY PURDY is a motivational speaker, world-class snowboarder, actress, model, entrepreneur, and author. She is the co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports (AAS), a non-profit that creates action sports programs and events for people of all ages living with permanent disabilities. She won a bronze medal in snowboarding at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics and was a finalist on season eighteen of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. She has been a featured presenter at POP Tech and TEDx; her TED speech has been viewed over 1.4 million times. She has also appeared in advertising campaigns for Toyota, P&G, The Hartford, The U.S. Olympic Committee, Duracell, Kellogg’s, Element, and Coca-Cola, and in videos with Madonna and Nikki Sixx. In December 2014, in addition to her publishing debut, Amy is releasing a new clothing line in partnership with Element Eden. Born and raised in Las Vegas, she makes her home in Copper Mountain, Colorado.