Exclusive: Amy Purdy Reveals Why “There’s Nothing More Human Than Adversity”

Three-time Paralympic medalist Amy Purdy is known for her resilience and ability to inspire. After losing both of her legs at 19 and undergoing a kidney transplant at 21—all complications stemming from a bacterial meningitis infection that nearly took her life—she went on to become a motivational speaker, a trailblazer in adaptive snowboarding, and a finalist on Dancing with the Stars.

Now Purdy, 46, is one of the most in-demand motivational speakers in the world. But that resilience was tested again a few years ago, when a severe vascular injury led to 10 surgeries and threatened the mobility she had fought so hard to regain—and forced her to rely on the very tools she had spent years teaching others.

Her new book, Bounce Forward (out April 14), draws on that experience. A deeply personal follow-up to her memoir On My Own Two Feet, it also serves as a practical guide to navigating any adversity. In her book, she shares strategies, from visualization to grounding yourself in the present moment, that helped her manage anxiety, rebuild after trauma, and perform under pressure.

Ahead, as she tells The Healthy in an exclusive conversation, resilience isn’t a personality trait; it’s a set of tools. Purdy also reveals why people connect more to struggle than success, how a simple mindset shift can calm panic in real time, and the surprising role that diet, movement, and self-advocacy have played in her long-term health.

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The Healthy: As a motivational speaker, what role does motivation play in mental health, especially when people are trying to move forward after difficult moments?

Amy Purdy: Motivation is kind of everything, right? That’s what gets you up out of bed. That’s what gets you looking forward to the future. That’s what gets you through your greatest challenges. But I think the question is: How do you find that motivation, and how do you find that resilience, especially when life isn’t easy—when we’re faced with challenges? One thing that I’ve learned is that if you don’t try to be motivational—if you’re actually vulnerable and share your challenges and how you got through them—that’s really what relates to people the most. Because people don’t relate to accomplishments. People relate to challenges. That’s something we all deal with. There’s nothing more human than adversity. It’s knowing that we are all resilient, and you just have to know how to build that resilience and find it within yourself.

The Healthy: You said people don’t relate to accomplishments—they relate to challenges. That feels especially relevant right now, where people often show the highlights but not the reality.

Amy Purdy: Sometimes you have to go on a journey of not being yourself to somehow eventually find yourself—and who you were all along was just this messy person trying to figure things out. When you can show up that way, which can be really difficult because we want to show up as our best most of the time, that’s what authenticity is.

The Healthy: Your new book comes out April 14. What do you want people to know about it?

Amy Purdy: My first book, On My Own Two Feet, was very much a memoir. It was the journey of losing my legs and everything I went through and how I kind of crawled my way onto my feet again, and then went on to do some pretty amazing things. But one of the questions I get asked a lot is: How did I do those things? How did I get through my darkest days? What was the one thing? And to be honest, there’s not just one thing. There’s a whole collection of things. And that’s actually what this next book is about: it’s 21 tools to live a life beyond limits.

What I realized is that the same things that were helping me survive my darkest days were also the same things that helped me thrive in my greatest moments. The same exact tools. I found myself leaning on things to get through challenges, and then realizing those same tools helped me when I was standing in the start gates at the Paralympic Games or feeling nervous on Dancing with the Stars.

The Healthy: One of those tools you talk about is visualization. How does that work for you?

Amy Purdy: I use visualization so much. When I lost my legs, I was laying in bed and didn’t know what my life was going to be like. I let myself daydream about the future and what I wanted to do. Most of the time, we get in our own way and tell ourselves we can’t do something. I was laying there thinking, “Well, I can’t snowboard because I don’t have my legs.” But I allowed myself to visualize—what would it look like if I could do that again? If you can visualize it before you do it, your brain doesn’t really know the difference between mental rehearsal and physical rehearsal. So your brain believes that you can do it.

The Healthy: How do you balance visualization with reality, especially when things don’t go as planned?

Amy Purdy: I love that you said that, because things don’t go as planned. Anything can happen. I think the balance is to visualize yourself doing your absolute best—what that feels like. That gives you the confidence to go out there. But the balance is being present. When you are completely in the moment, you realize that you’re OK, even if things go wrong, and you have time to decide what you want to do next. When you’re present, you realize you’re OK no matter what happens. Presence has also really helped me through anxiety.  I’ve gone through a lot of different types of anxiety, especially when I lost my legs when I was 19. A lot of what this book is about is a major injury seven years ago, and I’m still on the journey recovering from it

The Healthy: Tell us more about that.

Amy Purdy: I went on to be a competitive snowboarder with two prosthetic legs and did Dancing with the Stars, but then seven years ago, I severely injured my left leg. I injured my popliteal artery, and it knocked me off my feet in a way that, literally seven years later, I’m still kind of crawling my way back. I had 10 surgeries during COVID, and they had to reamputate my leg two more times to make it shorter so there was blood flow.

I didn’t know if I’d ever walk again. I didn’t know if I’d ever walk in a prosthetic again. It was incredibly challenging. I had so much anxiety, because I had worked my whole life to be able to do what I did on two prosthetics, and then to have that completely taken and not know what the future would hold—the anxiety would just wash over me. I’d have complete panic attacks.

The Healthy: What did you find helpful?

Amy Purdy: What helped me get through it was realizing that in this moment—even if I’m laying in bed, not good, needing another surgery, not knowing what’s going on, feeling this rush of anxiety—in this moment, I’m actually OK. The anxiety is coming from worrying about the future, what things are going to be like. But in that moment, I was OK. When I put myself in the present moment, I realized that’s the only reality that exists. Right here, right now, everything is OK—and it would instantly calm my nerves.

I write about that in the book as well, because presence is such a key to wellness. It calms our nervous system, allows us to think clearly, and helps us get through whatever we’re facing—whether it’s a panic attack or walking on stage. It keeps our cortisol down and allows you to be more connected to the moment.

The Healthy: You went through something wildly challenging. Doctors gave you a 2% chance of survival and put you into life support and a medical coma. So to go through that at 19, become a motivational speaker and then find yourself, 20 years later, needing the tools you’ve been teaching everybody for the last decade.

Amy Purdy: Exactly. And I love what you said, because absolutely what went through my head was, “OK, can I do it again?” All these things that I’ve been talking about—these tools that helped me so much through my darkest days, that I believe in so strongly, that I’ve been teaching—can I now lean on those things to get me through this? It kind of messed with me a little bit, because I did question whether all these things I’ve talked about all this time were even real. I was struggling so hard and trying so hard to get through.

But then I realized something: the more that you advocate for yourself and your health, that’s where you find your angels. That’s where you find your people. That’s what happened this time. I started knocking down doors, trying to find the right doctors and eventually, I did.

The Healthy: Who are three people who keep you grounded who would be on your Board of Directors in life?

Amy Purdy: Definitely my husband. He’s amazing, so helpful. He cooks, takes care of me, travels with me. Wherever we are, as long as he’s with me, I feel present. Also my dog, Huckleberry. There’s nothing like animals—they bring you into the moment. If I’m on my phone too long, he’ll literally knock it out of my hand like, “Be here right now.” And I’m like, “You’re so right.” And then someone I recently got to see compete: Alysa Liu. Watching her was incredible. She was so present—you could feel it. No tension, just completely in the moment. I have a picture of her on the ice, and when I see it, it reminds me: be present, be grounded, enjoy the moment, play. We’re not always going to feel like that, but having that reminder helps you embody it more.

The Healthy: What age do you feel on the inside compared to chronological age?

Amy Purdy: Oh my gosh. I’m 46. I’d say I probably feel like I’m 35—and I think that’s OK. I love life. I’m excited for the possibilities. I try to step into my day with curiosity, and there’s a childlike play in that. I think that makes you feel younger—and maybe even look younger. But there’s also something really cool that’s come with age. Since turning 45, there’s a calm confidence I didn’t have before. When I was younger, I felt like I had to prove myself. Being older, you kind of don’t care anymore—and that’s a beautiful thing. So I’m actually OK feeling my age. I’m not trying to be younger.

The Healthy: Talk to us a little bit about nutrition and exercise—what role they play in your life and your long-term health and longevity.

Amy Purdy: Nutrition and exercise are absolutely huge components of my life—and also a form of self-care. I have a kidney transplant. My dad gave me a kidney the week of my 21st birthday, and they usually last about nine years. My dad and I just celebrated 25 years, and I have no doubt that I’ve been able to keep this kidney healthy because of diet, nutrition, movement, and the way I’ve chosen to live my life. My diet has changed over the years. When I was competing, I did a lot of protein and carbs—you need a lot of calories for that level of training. But now I’m a little more gentle on my kidneys, because high protein isn’t great for them.

Over the last five years, I’ve moved more plant-based. About 75% of my plate is plants or greens, and 25% is meat—maybe salmon or chicken. I flipped it so vegetables are the main dish and meat is the side. I have no doubt that’s helped my kidney function.

The Healthy: That’s incredible.

Amy Purdy: And movement is key. Even when I lost my legs, before I had prosthetics, I would get on the floor and do workouts—Jane Fonda-style. It made me feel empowered and capable. Even now, if I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I turn on music and move my body. It completely shifts my mood.

The Healthy: What’s one self-care ritual you refuse to skip?

Amy Purdy: Movement, for sure—every day, in some way. Even when I travel, it can be hard. Not every gym is equipped for prosthetics. But I’ll just get in my room and do squats, push-ups, sit-ups. It reminds me of this body and how hard it’s working for me—and I want to support it.