Back in 2015, when she appeared on the cover of Amplitude’s inaugural edition, Amy Purdy was already one of the best-known amputees on the planet. She was fresh off a medal-winning performance in the Sochi Paralympics, a second-place finish on Dancing With the Stars, and a nationwide tour with Oprah Winfrey. And while our first issue was in circulation, Purdy starred in a Toyota commercial that aired during Super Bowl 49—which was, we’re pretty sure, the first time any amputee was featured during the biggest advertising showcase of the year.
In the seven years since then, Purdy’s star has only grown brighter. Her memoir, On My Own Two Feet, became a bestseller. She got married to longtime boyfriend Daniel Gale, launched her own clothing line, and did a guest modeling turn on The Price Is Right. Purdy also mentored a new generation of elite parasnowboarders through Adaptive Action Sports, and she managed to squeeze in her own training for the 2018 Paralympics, where she added two more medals to her collection. When injuries kept Purdy from competing in the 2022 Winter Games, she made her debut as a TV analyst on NBC’s Paralympics coverage.
Last Friday, Purdy announced that she’s officially retiring from snowboarding and moving on to the next chapter of her life. So we thought we’d mark that occasion with a look back at our favorite articles about her from the Amplitude archive. The last seven years have brought tremendous growth for Purdy, Amplitude, and the amputee community as a whole. No doubt she’ll stay as relevant as ever, so expect her to keep popping up in our coverage from time to time. Here’s the story so far.
The Star Behind the Scenes (2015)
“At 34, the top-ranked snowboarder with old-Hollywood beauty is one of only a handful of celebrities with a major disability,” we wrote in our debut issue’s central feature. The article charted Purdy’s breakthrough as a sports, media, and pop culture icon. Although we didn’t know it at the time, her crossover success would pave the way for other amputee figures such as Brenna Huckaby, Hunter Woodhall, and Jessica Long. But as we look back on that article, what really jumps out is Purdy’s down-to-earth relatability. Far from sounding like a self-centered star, she exudes the kind of empathy and insight you’d expect of almost any amputee.
“With amputation, you’re forced to learn patience, whether you want to or not,” she says in one passage. “New amputees usually don’t realize the process it takes to even get physically, emotionally, and mentally comfortable…. you have to keep in mind that this is what you’re living with now. But when you embrace that and accept it, the world around you will embrace it and accept it as well.”
At another point in the article, she adds: “It’s so easy to get caught up in your own world, with how hard it is, and how unhappy you are. The only thing that really helped me in the hardest times was somehow giving back and helping somebody else.” Read the whole story.
Coronavirus: What Amputees Know (2020)
This March 2020 newsletter item notes Purdy’s presence at the forefront of a broader trend: the abrupt pivot from in-person to virtual work during the early days of the pandemic. She was one of three Paralympians featured in a program called “Inspiration Online,” a series of digital speaking engagements designed to reassure professionals who were anxious about the loss of familiar routines and the uncertain shift to working from home.
Purdy’s manager, Patrick Quinn, noted that people with disabilities were used to adapting and therefore had important lessons to share about meeting the pandemic’s challenges. “Amputees don’t focus on what they don’t have,” he noted. “They work with what they do have, and they find ways to maximize it. They’re role models of perseverance and courage in the face of adversity.” All those qualities certainly apply to Amy Purdy. Read the whole story.
Amputee Halloween Costume Awards (2020)
Decked out in flamingo regalia, Purdy was recognized in the “Best Amputee Costumes by Former Amplitude Cover Subjects” category. See her costume, and about 20 other amputee getups.
Amputees in Super Bowl Ads: Greatest of All Time (2021)
After Jessica Long’s triumphant Super Bowl ad appearance last year, we rounded up every amputee-themed Super Bowl ad we could find and put them all in one article. For our money, the first of these commercials—Purdy’s 2015 spot for the Toyota Camry—has yet to be bested. The soundtrack and quick-edit visuals underscore Purdy’s fearless pursuit of life’s pleasures, while the subject matter itself—snowboarding, cycling, dancing, modeling, prosthetic tinkering—tidily condenses her life into 60 seconds. See Purdy’s ad (and all the other Super Bowl commercials starring amputees).
Top Amputee Stars of Reality TV (2021)
Our countdown of the top amputee appearances on reality TV culminated in Purdy’s season-long sojourn on Dancing With the Stars. “Purdy’s performance on one of TV’s highest-rated shows opened millions of eyes,” we wrote. “Most Americans had never seen a person with limb difference express sheer joy in her body. [Her dancing] exhibited disability in a new way—not just as a challenge to be conquered, but as a dimension of humanity to be embodied and lived fully.” Read the whole article.
