Shifting Obstacles Into Opportunities: Paralympian Amy Purdy Dishes on Her New Book "Bounce Forward"

Shifting Obstacles Into Opportunities: Paralympian Amy Purdy Dishes on Her New Book "Bounce Forward"

From On Her Mark by NBC Sports Boston

March 31, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 95

About this episode

Amy Purdy discusses her journey of overcoming obstacles and her new book 'Bounce Forward'.

Amy Purdy simply doesn't quit. She has taken every obstacle life has thrown her way and turned it into an opportunity. At just 19 a sudden case of bacterial meningitis resulted in the loss of both legs below the knee, her kidney function, and spleen. After fighting for her life, she became a trailblazer in snowboarding, even making history as a 3-time Paralympic medalist. After, she continued to inspire millions by competing on "Dancing With the Stars," touring with Oprah, and authoring a New York Times best-selling memoir. Then, in 20198, life threw another obstacle her way causing her to rebuild. It's this rebuild that inspired her latest book "Bounce Forward." Today we dive into why she wrote this book as a toolkit, how vulnerability has opened her world and built a strong community, what keeps her motivated and more.

People in this episode

Guest: Amy Purdy

Topics covered

  • resilience
  • Paralympics
  • motivation
  • overcoming obstacles
  • inspiration

Keywords

  • Amy Purdy
  • Paralympian
  • Bounce Forward
  • resilience
  • inspiration
  • snowboarding
  • Dancing With the Stars
  • Oprah

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dancing With the Stars, Oprah

Books & works: Bounce Forward, New York Times best-selling memoir

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