Preloading

Why Amy Purdy Decided to Compete on Dancing with the Stars

Season 6 Episode 604
Aired on 02/16/2015 | CC tv-14
At age 19, Amy Purdy lost her legs after battling a deadly form of bacterial meningitis. Seven months later, Amy, an avid snowboarder, found out there were no prosthetic feet made for the sport. She built her own and went on to become a Paralympic bronze medalist.

Then, in 2014, Amy was called to a new physical challenge that ended up becoming a spiritual quest: competing in ABC's Dancing with the Stars. "I thought, 'Well, it's an experience, and it would be great to go from something like the Paralympics right into something else,'" she says. "But, yeah, once I said yes, I was quite nervous."

In the video above, Amy opens up about her apprehension of going on the show.

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Watch the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars March 16 at 8/7c on ABC.

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