She was on CBS' "The Amazing Race," won a bronze medal for snowboarding at the Sochi Paralympic games, and is currently blowing away Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and other guest judges on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Her name's Amy Purdy and, along with all of her other endeavors, she also plays for Team Toyota.
Never, in any season of ABC's hit dancing show, has a contestant elicited the type of emotional response that Amy has. Her moving and inspirational story is now well known by most Americans, and in a world where fame is often gained through vacuous means, Amy has received attention for all the right reasons. At age 19, the snowboarding lover acquired bacterial meningitis and had only a two percent chance of living. However, while she lost both of her legs in the process, doctors were able to save her life and what she has done with it since is amazing.
In 2005, she and her boyfriend started a nonprofit called Adaptive Action Sports, which helps disabled youth participate in activities like snowboarding and skateboarding. At the beginning of this venture, Toyota was there to help, and that's where Amy's relationship with the company first started. "The folks at Toyota have been there for me since my illness. They supplied a vehicle for me and to Adaptive Action Sports. I would not be able to get anywhere without them," she stated.
Eight years after this, Amy decided to join Team Toyota as a brand ambassador and she still represents the company today, most recently taking on the role of grand marshal at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pro/Celebrity race on April 12. It's a natural fit for the award-winning athlete and motivational speaker, whose must-watch TED Talk about her struggles has received over 625,000 views.
At Crown Toyota, we're all moved by Amy's story and we're very proud to have her on our team. We wish her the best in every endeavor and look forward to seeing her at other Toyota-sponsored events this year.
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