Despite Ruptured Spleen and Double Amputation at 19 Paralympic Snowboarding Icon Sets Course for History

The U.S. ski and snowboarding team has been honoring the legendary women in the sport who made a big impact on the slopes. These women have inspired countless individuals to pursue their passion for alpine sports. The team is endowing these iconic women with the unique moniker “HERoic Trailblazer”. Recently, they chose an athlete from the U.S. Para Snowboard team to receive this prestigious title.

Amy Purdy has changed the course of American alpine snowboarding with her incredible resilience and determination. In 1999, Purdy contracted bacterial meningitis, and the doctors could save her life by amputating both her legs. The doctors also had to remove her spleen, which had ruptured due to the infection. After this ordeal at the age of 19, Purdy refused to let her disability define her and went on to become one of the greatest paralympic snowboarders.

Amy Purdy’s unstoppable journey from adversity to Paralympic snowboarding success

Amy Purdy started snowboarding at 15, but when she reached 19, her life took a sudden turn. She had to be rushed into the emergency room after a sudden septic shock threatened her life. She stayed on life support for a substantial amount of time before the doctors decided to sacrifice both her legs to save her life. Purdy also needed a kidney transplant, and her spleen had to be removed completely because the Meningococcal Meningitis had spread to these vital organs. Purdy defied all expectations by making a remarkable comeback to the snowboarding world just seven months after the amputation. Within a year, she was already earning trophies as a professional athlete.

As per the US Ski and Snowboard, Amy Purdy created Adaptive Action Sports, or AAS, mere six years after her nightmare. Since then, her mission in life has been to help athletes with disabilities overcome all obstacles and get the opportunity to play their sports. AAS deserves credit for the inclusion of adaptive events in both the Winter and Summer X Games. Amy Purdy stunned everyone by winning almost all of the competitions during this time.

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She finally earned a spot in the 2012 Para Snowboard World Championships team. Thereafter, she spent a huge amount of effort to get snowboarding into the 2014 Paralympic Games. She has earned two bronze medals in the banked slalom and a silver medal in the snowboard cross. In her 13-year-long snowboarding career, she has constantly pushed the boundaries and created records.

Amy Purdy’s trailblazing legacy in snowboarding

Amy Purdy’s life has been marked by her trailblazing attitude in all aspects. She became the first Para athlete to contest in the reality show Dancing with the Stars. Through her entertaining performances and larger-than-life personality, she captivated audiences and changed their perspective on para-athletes. After Purdy took retirement from her snowboarding career, she dedicated herself to the cause of empowering others.

Amy Purdy has written books and also worked as a motivational speaker. Legendary American TV host Oprah Winfrey named her one of the top 100 influential people in the world. Now, with this “HERoic Trailblazer” title, the US Ski and Snowboarding team has attested to her immense impact on the sport.

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