On My Own Two Feet

The champion snowboarder and Dancing with the Stars contestant chronicles her battle with and recovery from bacterial meningitis, which cost her her legs.

New York Times Bestseller

“Her riveting memoir, On My Own Two Feet, is shot through with honesty, compassion, a sunny steeliness, and, above all, a sense of humor.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

America fell in love with Amy Purdy as the incredible girl with bionic legs who managed to outdance her competitors all the way to the season eighteen finale of Dancing with the Stars with her partner, Derek Hough. Now, for the first time, Amy reveals the powerful, moving story of her spiritual awakening as a result of a sudden, often fatal, blood infection that caused her to lose both of her legs.

When she was just nineteen, she contracted deadly bacterial meningitis and was given less than a two percent chance of survival. In a near-death experience that Amy has never talked about until now, she saw three beings who told her: “You can come with us, or you can stay. No matter what happens in your life, it's all going to make sense in the end.”

Amy seized her second chance at life and earned a bronze medal in adaptive snowboarding at the 2014 Paralympic Games. On My Own Two Feet reminds us to live life to the fullest, because we are all much more capable than we could ever imagine.

“Amy Purdy is far more than an Olympic champion. She is a pioneer and a beacon of strength. Her honest and sharply written memoir leaves me feeling as uplifted as I do when I spend time in her presence.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

“[Amy’s] memoir is a gift worth reading, rereading, and sharing with many others.” —Derek Hough, author of Taking the Lead

“In On My Own Two Feet, Amy not only demonstrates resilience in the face of calamity, she also shares a set of spiritual principles that reawakens us to our potential for endless growth. What a remarkable young woman—and what a gem of a book.” —Deepak Chopra