SURE TO GET OUT THERE AND
SUPPORT THEM IF YOU CAN.
>> Tati: MARCH IS WOMEN’S
HISTORY MONTH, AND TODAY WE’RE
TALKING TO A WOMAN WHO CAN BE AN
INSPIRATION TO US ALL.
SHE’S THE ONLY DOUBLE AMPUTEE
MEDAL WINNER.
JOINING US THIS MORNING IS AMY
PURDY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US.
>> HI.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> Tati: WELL, LET’S START
WHEN YOUR LIFE CHANGED.
YOU LOST BOTH YOUR LEGS AT AGE
19,, AN AGE WHEN MANY THINK, I’L
NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN.
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THAT MENTAL
BLOCK TO GET BACK UP AND BECOME
A WORLD-CLASS ATHLETE?
>> WELL, I’LL TELL YOU, I MEAN,
I DEFINITELY DIDN’T KNOW THAT
THE STRENGTH THAT I ENDED UP
HAVING WAS IN THERE.
I THINK SOMETIMES WE DON’T KNOW
OUR OWN STRENGTH UNTIL WE’RE
FORCED TO FIND IT.
WE DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW RESILIENT
WE ARE UNTIL WE’RE FORCED TO
BUILD IT.
WE BUILD IT THROUGH OUR
CHALLENGES.
SO I LOST BOTH OF MY LEGS AT THE
AGE OF 19, AND I WAS PASSIONATE
ABOUT SNOWBOARDING, AND SO THEN
I BECAME VERY PASSIONATE TO FIND
A WAY TO SNOWBOARD AGAIN, AND SO
THAT REALLY KIND OF STARTED MY
JOURNEY OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT KIND OF FEET TO USE.
THEN I FIGURED IT OUT AND I WAS
ABLE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE DO THE
SAME.
>>>> Tati: YOU HAVE INSPIRED SO
MANY OTHERS THROUGH YOUR SPORT
AND COMPETING ON "DANCING WITH
THE STARS," AND "THE AMAZING
RACE," WHICH IS AMAZING ITSELF.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A
ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER WOMEN?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S AN INCREDIBLE
POSITION TO BE IN, AND IT’S A
GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, AS WELL.
I MEAN, I AM GRATEFUL THAT I
HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE
ABLE TO KIND OF LEAD THE WAY
WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN AND SPORT
AND WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AND
KIND OF JUST WHAT YOU CAN
ACHIEVE IN YOUR LIFE, AND SO I
AM HONORED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
BE, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT AS █A
ROLE MODEL, BUT ALSO I’M
PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING OTHERS
BE THE SAME, AND GIVING WHATEVER
RESOURCES I HAVE THAT HAVE
HELPED ME SPREAD IN MY LIFE, I
AM GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO GIVE
THOSE RESOURCES TO OTHERS, AS
WELL.
>> Tati: ALL RIGHT.
YOU HAVE ALSO ESTABLISHED
ADAPTIVE ACTION SPORTS, AS IF
YOU’RE ALREADY NOT DOING SO
MUCH.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> YEAH, MY HUSBAND AND I
ACTUALLY IN 2005, WE STARTED
ADAPTIVE ACTION SPORTS, WHICH IS
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
WE TRAIN ATHLETES WITH
DISABILITIES TO MAKE THE U.S.
SNOWBOARD TEAM, AND THAT
INCLUDES WOMEN AS WELL, WHICH IS
GREAT.
WE HAVE A BIG GROUP OF WOMEN WHO
ARE TRAINING WITH US RIGHT NOW
TO MAKE THE NEXT PARALYMPICS.
SO IT’S REALLY AMAZING TO BE
ABLE TO SHARE THE THINGS THAT I
HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY AS A
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, BE ABLE TO
SHARE ALL OF THAT WITH THE NEXT
GENERATION OF WOMEN ATHLETES IN
OUR SPORT.
AND I HAVE BECOME JUST VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
WHOLE... LIKE OUR WHOLE BODY,
LIKE MIND-BODY-SOUL.
BECAUSE YOU CAN’T PHYSICALLY
PERFORM AT YOUR BEST IF YOUR
MIND IS NOT AT THE RIGHT SPOT.
SO BEING ABLE TO GIVE RESOURCES
FOR NOT JUST PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
AND BEING THE BEST YOU CAN
PHYSICALLY BUT ALSO MENTAL
HEALTH, AS WELL, HAS BEEN REALLY
IMPORTANT TO ME, ESPECIALLY, YOU
KNOW, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS
BECAUSE OF COVID, EVERYBODY IS
DEALING WITH CHALLENGES RIGHT
NOW WITH THE WHOLE WORLD
CHANGING, AND SO I THINK IT’S
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY
TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE
ARE RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR
MENTAL HEALTH SO THAT YOU CAN BE
YOUR MOST RESILIENT SELF.
AND SO I ACTUALLY RECENTLY JUST
PARTNERED WITH THIS AMAZING
COMPANY NEXT GENERAL GEN HEALTHC
YOU CAN GO TO THEIR WEBSITE
WHICH IS
NEXTGEN.COM/NEXTGENMIND.
THEY GIVE INCREDIBLE RESOURCES
FOR HOW TO THRIVE MENTALLY AND
TO CONNECT TO REALLY STRONG
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.
>> Tati: AWESOME, AMY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US