I always felt really lucky that I only lost my legs, because it could've been so much worse.
Amy PurdyRead
I'm an athlete, yes, but I'm also a woman. I'm someone who kind of, in a way, lost touch with that part of myself after I lost my legs, because there are certain feminine traits you lose when you have prosthetic legs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle of embracing one’s identity after physical loss and the challenges of maintaining femininity in the face of disability.
In this quote, Amy Purdy expresses the duality of her identity as both an athlete and a woman. She shares her personal journey of reconciling her femininity with the physical limitations brought upon by her prosthetic legs, highlighting the emotional and social implications of losing parts of herself in the process of adaptation to her new reality. This reveals the profound connection between identity and physicality, emphasizing how physical disabilities can affect one’s self-image and perception of gender traits.
Themes
AthleteWomanIdentityLossFemininityCourage
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire athletes with disabilities at a sports event to embrace their identities.
More from Amy Purdy
All quotes →I knew what I didn't want. I didn't want people to feel sorry for me. I didn't want people to see me as disabled. I wanted to live a life of adventure and stories.
Amy PurdyRead
I was on my death bed, and I remember hanging on to these words, 'Don't be scared. You are going to live an amazing life,' and I have.
Amy PurdyRead
When disease took my legs, I eventually realized I didn't need them to lead a full, empowering life; Only True Disability Is in Our Mind.
Amy PurdyRead
Similar quotes
I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein.
George W. BushRead
We need courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior strength is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life nor to cover it over with any philosophy-mate rial or spiritual. We need a warrior’s heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities.
Jack KornfieldRead
They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.
Ernest HemingwayRead
War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste... The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. Marine Corps training taught us to kill efficiently and to try to survive. But it also taught us loyalty to each other - and love. That espirit de corps sustained us.
Eugene B. SledgeRead
He knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort’s feet . . . he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible. . . .
J. K. RowlingRead
I was amazed that what I needed to survive could be carried on my back. And, most surprising of all, that I could carry it.
Cheryl StrayedRead