Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy didn’t win her season of “Dancing With the Stars,” but she won many fans and had some of the most memorable performances on the series.
In season 18, she and Derek Hough finished in second place. However, they had to be quite creative and think quickly on their feet to make their performances work. Amy Purdy is missing both legs below the knee, so she had to wear prosthetics on the dance floor.
Now, she’s opening up about the process and explaining the different feet she wore on the dance floor.
Amy Purdy Felt Honored to Represent Paralympians on DWTS
Twelve years after Amy Purdy competed on “Dancing With the Stars,” she’s reflecting on her journey. It was the first time fans saw a contestant compete in prosthetic feet, and she still has them to this day. Now, she’s taking time to explain how it all worked.
“The feet I wore on DWTS! This is the number one question I get and there’s so many more things I can share about being on the show, I don’t know why it took me so long!” the athlete shared in a recent Instagram update.
“The reality is it was a learning experience but if you are determined you will always find a way and we always did! I’m excited to share more as the next season ramps up! ❤️” she added.
The 46-year-old proudly displayed pairs of prosthetics to the camera as she told her story.
“Let’s talk about the feet that I wore when I was on ‘Dancing With the Stars,'” Amy began in the video. “For those of you who don’t know, I have two prosthetic legs. I was the first Paralympian on the show. It was so amazing that I got to represent the Paralympics and what athletes with disabilities could do.”
“One of the number one questions I get are what feet I wore on the show,” she continued. “And to be honest, I wore a bunch of different feet. I think I wore like five different pairs, and actually multiple pairs of those feet as well because they would break and fall apart.”
The Athlete Had Plenty of Drive and Creativity to Fuel Her Success
While different prosthetics worked for each performance, Amy Purdy admitted that it was challenging to know which feet would work.
“It really wasn’t until Derek and I started dancing together that we knew what kind of feet that I would need because every dance requires a different type of movement,” she told the audience. “Here’s the thing that some people may not know: if your ankles don’t bend, then your knees don’t bend. If your knees don’t bend, then your hips don’t bend. And my ankles didn’t bend.”
Amy Purdy went on to explain that there were some dances that were especially challenging for her as a result. She had special feet made of wood and foam to help her accomplish some of the more difficult movements. Wearing ballroom shoes over the prosthetics also didn’t quite work, so she opted to dance without them, balancing on the balls of her feet instead.
In the end, Amy Purdy feels tremendously proud of her performance, even if she didn’t take home the Mirrorball trophy.
“It’s amazing how if you are determined to figure something out, you will get creative and find a way,” she concluded the video. “That’s what we had to do every single week because there was no way that I was ready to go home. There was no way I was going to give up on myself.”
“Dancing With the Stars” season 35 premieres at 8 p.m. on September 15. There will be a second episode the following evening on September 16.
