Amy Purdy
A Paralympic snowboarder who redefined the limits of adaptive sports and became a global symbol of resilient optimism.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American actress and athlete·Birthday: November 7·Generation X
Biography
Amy Purdy's life split into two distinct chapters at age nineteen, when bacterial meningitis led to septic shock and the amputation of both legs below the knee. Given a two percent chance of survival, she not only lived but resolved to chase the dreams she had before her illness, which included a love for snowboarding. With prosthetic legs not designed for the sport, she and her father began tinkering in their garage, eventually crafting adaptations that allowed her to ride. This DIY spirit led her to co-found Adaptive Action Sports, an organization dedicated to getting people with disabilities into action sports. On the world stage, she helped push for snowboarding's inclusion in the Paralympics, then won medals in its debut games. Her story, told through TED Talks, dancing on 'Dancing with the Stars,' and modeling, transformed her into a powerful advocate for viewing challenges as platforms for creativity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Amy was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Amy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics, the first games to feature para-snowboarding.
- Co-founded Adaptive Action Sports, a non-profit that promotes action sports for individuals with physical disabilities.
- Was the first double-amputee to compete on 'Dancing with the Stars,' finishing as runner-up in season 18.
- Authored the New York Times bestselling memoir 'On My Own Two Feet.'
Did You Know?
She lost both her kidneys to the meningitis and received a transplant from her father in 2005.
Purdy was a featured model in a high-profile campaign for the clothing brand Olay.
She gave a TED Talk titled 'Living Beyond Limits' that has been viewed millions of times online.
Before her illness, she was a professional makeup artist.
“Instead of looking at our challenges and limitations as something negative or bad, we can begin to look at them as blessings, magnificent gifts that can be used to ignite our imaginations and help us go further than we ever knew we could go.”
