TED Talk - Amy Purdy: Living Beyond Limits
After graduating high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, Amy Purdy moved from the hot deserts of Las Vegas, to a place where it snowed. From there she became a massage therapist. She went home early one day from work because she thought that she had a flu, but less than 24 hours later was in the hospital on life support with less than a 2% chance of living. What she really had was bacterial meningitis, which was diagnosed when she was in a coma a few days after going into the hospital. Because of the meningitis, over the course of 2 1/2 months, she lost her spline, her kidneys, hearing in her left ear, and both of her legs below the knee. Because she moved to where it snows, she became an avid snowboarder, but her condition held her back.
After Amy saw her prosthetic half legs for the first time, she felt physically and mentally broken. But after realizing that she had to let go of the past and embrace her new self and look at the positive things she accomplished so much. She co-founded a non-profit organization for youth and young adults with physical disabilities so they could get involved in action sports, she went to South Africa where she put shoes on kid's feet so they could go to school and even won two back to back world cup gold medals for snowboarding.
This TED talk was so inspirational because it just goes to show that you can to anything you want if you're willing to work at it. Amy was a really good speaker and kept the audience engaged, making them want to hear what she was going to say next. I would recommend everybody watch this TED talk because it isn't directed to just girls or boys, but to anyone who is interested in getting inspired and taking control of their life.
"Amy Purdy: Living beyond Limits." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. Nov. 2011. Web. 15 June 2013. <http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits.html>.
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