On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life - Hardcover

Purdy, Amy; Burford, Michelle

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062379097 ISBN 13: 9780062379092

Publisher: William Morrow, 2014

Synopsis

Amy Purdy, who inspired a nation on Dancing with the Stars and has been called a hero by Oprah Winfrey, reveals the intimate details of her triumphant comeback from the brink of death to making history as a Paralympic snowboarder.

In this poignant and uplifting memoir, Dancing With the Stars sensation Amy Purdy reveals the story of how losing her legs led her to find a spiritual path. When the Las Vegas native was just nineteen, she contracted bacterial meningitis and was given less than a two percent chance of survival. In a near-death experience, she saw three figures who told her: “You can come with us, or you can stay. No matter what happens in your life, it’s all going to make sense in the end.” In that moment, Amy chose to live.

Her glimpse of the afterlife—coupled with a mysterious premonition she’d had a month before —became the defining experiences that put Amy’s life on a new trajectory after her legs had to be amputated. She wouldn’t just beat meningitis and walk again; she would go on to create a life filled with bold adventures, big dreams, and boundless vitality—and share that spirit with the world. In 2014, Amy—the only competitor, male or female, with two prosthetic legs—claimed a bronze medal for the U.S. Paralympic team in adaptive snowboarding. She then became a contestant on season eighteen of Dancing With the Stars, and viewers were captivated as the girl with bionic legs managed to out-dance her competitors all the way to the finale.

Amy’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity we all have to dream bigger, defy expectations, and rewrite our stories. Amy was given a second chance for a reason—to use her life to inspire others. Her powerful memoir urges us to live life to the fullest, because we are all a lot more capable than we could ever imagine.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Oprah Winfrey calls Amy Purdy her inspiration. Now, read Amy's story in her own words and prepare to be inspired . . .

America fell in love with Amy Purdy as the incredible girl with bionic legs who managed to out-dance her competitors all the way to the season 18 finale of Dancing with the Stars with her partner, Derek Hough. But viewers were only given a glimpse into her past and how she managed to get there. Now, for the first time, Amy reveals the powerful, moving story of her personal spiritual awakening as a result of a sudden and often fatal blood infection that caused her to lose both of her legs.

When the Las Vegas native was just nineteen, she contracted the deadly bacterial meningitis and was given less than a two percent chance of survival. In a near-death experience that Amy has never talked about until now, she saw three beings who told her: "You can come with us, or you can stay. No matter what happens in your life, it's all going to make sense in the end." As she hovered between life and death, Amy knew she had to make a choice. And in that moment, she chose life.

In On My Own Two Feet, Amy takes readers inside her childhood and up to the defining life or death moment. Despite the grim prognosis, she was determined to not just beat the odds and walk again but to create a life filled with bold adventures, big dreams, and boundless vitality—and share that spirit with the world. Amy seized her second chance at life and earned a bronze medal in adaptive snowboarding at the 2014 Paralympic Games. Her life is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity we all have to defy expectations and rewrite our stories. Amy's poignant, uplifting memoir reminds us to live life to the fullest, because we are all much more capable than we could ever imagine.

About the Author

Amy Purdy is the top-ranked female adaptive snowboarder in the U.S., a three-time World Cup para-snowboard gold medalist, the 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist, the founder of Adaptive Action Sports, and a New York Times bestselling author. She is a professional motivational speaker who has been featured at both TEDx and Pop Tech, and is also an actress, model, dancer, clothing designer, and an experienced product spokesperson.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0062379097
• ISBN 13: 9780062379092
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256