Former “Dancing With the Stars” fan favorite Amy Purdy is opening up about how her understanding of strength and resilience has evolved in her newly announced book, “Bounce Forward.” The Paralympian and motivational speaker says the book reflects on lessons learned through decades of overcoming adversity. It offers readers an honest look at the tools that have helped her keep moving forward, both on and off the dance floor.
‘Resilience Isn’t About Staying Strong’
Purdy, who competed with Derek Hough during “DWTS” season 18 and finished in second place, lost her legs below the knee when she was 19 years old. Now, is her new book, she talks about how she navigated life for the last three decades.
The 46-year-old told PEOPLE, “I realized that resilience isn’t about staying strong, it’s about having tools to lean on when you’re not. I’m excited to finally share this book because people always ask me ‘Amy, how do you stay strong? How do you keep moving forward?’ This book is my answer.”
Purdy Is a Gold-Medal Winning Athlete
Purdy contracted bacterial meningitis at the age of 19. This led to septic shock, which resulted in her legs being amputated 10 inches below the knee.
She went on to compete in the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. At that time, she took home a bronze medal. Purdy also competed in many other events, taking home multiple gold medals in the X Games and World Championships.
Her ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Journey
After competing in the Paralympics, Purdy then competed on “Dancing With the Stars.” She was partnered with Hough, where they finished as runner-ups that season.
Purdy instantly became a fan favorite on the show. She earned multiple high scores and inspired the audience as she danced on prosthetic legs.
During a 2017 episode of “Where Are They Now” on OWN, Purdy said, “There aren’t any legs that are made for dancing, there’s not cha-cha legs or salsa legs, or jive legs. I used swimming feet because they had a point, and they allowed me to point my toes, and it made me grow more creatively and become more resilient than I ever could have imagined going into the show.”
While Purdy didn’t win that season, another Olympic athlete did: Meryl Davis. She was partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy for the season 18 victory.
Purdy wrote her first book, “On My Own Two Feet,” shortly after competing on “Dancing With the Stars.” Now her second book, “Bounce Forward,” will be released on April 14, but is available to pre-order now.
