88 DIVERSEability Magazine www.diverseabilitymagazine.com
cover story
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f you were to read Amy Purdys medical history, youd be introduced to a jour- ney that, for many, could feel incredibly daunting. If you were to check out her accom- plishments as a snowboarding champion, a renowned motivational speaker, a dancer, an actress, a model, a podcaster, a New York Times bestselling author and a philanthropist, youd be introduced to her toughness and will. And if you watched her shredding the slopes on her way to medaling in the Paralympics or ball-rooming her way into Americas hearts on Dancing with the Stars, youd start to see the big picture. Purdys mantra? Live beyond limits. Live beyond limits became my mantra very organically. I personally never liked being told what I could or couldnt do, said Purdy, 41. I always wanted to figure out what the possi- bilities were. Snowboarding, for example, felt impossible at first, and I could have just walked away but I got creative, made my own feet and igured out a way to not just do it again but to excel at it. Im so grateful that I never gave up.
DAVE KOTINSKY/GETTY IMAGES
Amy Purdy signs copies of On My Own Two Feet at Bookends Bookstore in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Dancing With The Stars Season 18 finalists Amy Purdy and Derek Hough perform at ABC's Good Morning America at Times Square in New York City.
SLAVEN VLASIC/GETTY IMAGES
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