Amy Purdy appeared on stage in a stunning red dress, but along with that dress an even more stunning pair of custom prosthetic legs. With a full audience of astounded accountants, Amy owned the auditorium.
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She took us through the journey of her life, starting with her "normal" childhood which all changed when she contracted bacterial meningitis at the age of 19. From that point on, her life seemed far from the one she had envisioned.
Devastated by the loss of her legs, Amy was stuck in her bed; consumed with grief and sadness. At the peak of her depression Amy's kidneys shutdown. Once again she was fighting for her life, but this time it was different. Amy fought back. Instead of letting her sadness take control, she took the reins and pulled in a whole new direction.
She was now ready to image a whole new type of life, one without her own legs, but not without mobility. But not just 'mobility,' she now allowed herself to dream big and even fantasize of the thing she loved most… skiing.
After her dad donated one of his kidneys, Amy recovered. She also found a doctor who understood her vision and together they worked to create the perfect pair of prosthetic legs for skiing.
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After much effort, Amy and her new legs claimed a bronze medal in 2014 for the U.S. Paralympic team in adaptive snowboarding as the first ever double amputee. She followed that performance up by winning a silver medal during the 2018 Paralympic Games.
During season eighteen, Amy was a contestant on Dancing With the Stars and took 2nd place after out-dancing most of her competition.
In 2005, Amy and Daniel Gale founded Adaptive Action Sports, to help create opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities to get involved in skateboarding and snowboarding, as well as other action sports. Amy now focuses on helping other amputees achieve their dreams by helping them imagine and achieve living a life full of adventures.
Listening to Amy, it accrued to me, and most in the room, we must fight to achieve our dreams; while the path is not easy, we must take action to reach our goals. We must think outside the normal limits and team up with those who support us and who are willing to give encouragement when life is hard.
While we cannot remove the struggles of life, we can certainly work our way around them.
Our work as accountants and bookkeepers can be tough. Often our clients have a hard time understanding the knowledge we are sharing but after a few tries, sometimes quite a bit more than “a few tries,” all the puzzle pieces start to align if you just have the patience to make it all worth it.
Editor's Epilogue
There are some persons who are truly remarkable in life. Some are remarkable for their giving spirit, like Mother Teresa. Some are remarkable for their wisdom that gives us a new understanding, like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
Others are remarkable for their sacrifices, like our our courageous veterans, many of whom gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy. Still others are remarkable for their willingness to 'go where no man has gone before,' like our astronauts.
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And, some people are remarkable for their ability to overcome the obstacles of life in the midst of adversity. Amy Purdy is one such remarkable person.
In a time when so many people seemingly 'achieve celebrity' status solely for their celebrity, and when it seems that so many of us have have forgotten what it truly means to 'be a hero,' we need to be reminded of what it really means 'to endeavor to persevere and overcome.'
If you want to spend some quality time reflecting on perseverance and the spirit to overcome, then be sure to read Amy Purdy's book, 'On My Own Two Feet, From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life', by Amy Purdy with Michelle Burford, published by Harper Collins, December 2014.