Paralympian and Former 'DTWS' Contestant Amy Purdy Offers Inspiration in Toyota's Super Bowl Spot
Amy Purdy, the Paralympic snowboarder, is set to appear in two Toyota Super Bowl commercials this year themed "How Great I Am" and "One Bold Choice Leads to Another."
The opening scene in the first ad features Purdy running with her two prosthetic feet visible. As a child, the 35-year-old athlete was given a two percent chance to live after suffering from a form of meningitis that led to septic shock. The illness required the amputation of both of Purdy's legs below the knee.
Despite the ordeal, Purdy is now a world-class snowboarder and a 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist. As a celebration of her accomplishments, Toyota tapped Purdy in their "How Great I Am" Super Bowl spot.
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"We're very proud of the message our commercial sends about not only making bold choices, but living a bold life, and Amy Purdy represents that in everything she does," said group vice president of marketing at Toyota, Jack Hollis. "Amy inspires us, and to have her make her Super Bowl commercial debut with Toyota is something we're thrilled about."
The ad reveals Purdy and her bold lifestyle that includes running, snowboarding, as well as ballroom dancing– harkening back to her "Dancing with the Stars" appearance. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali lends a voiceover to the segment, which will air during the first quarter of the match between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
Furthermore, Toyota is honoring Purdy's father's decision to donate his kidney to Purdy in order to save her life during the battle against septic shock with a second Super Bowl commercial themed "One Bold Choice Leads to Another."
"To say I'm honored to be in this spot airing during the game would be an understatement," Purdy revealed. "All my life I've been faced with choices, and I've been determined to be bold through every one of them. I have a great relationship with Toyota, and to be in an ad that encourages others to persevere and be bold in their own lives is something that is hard to accurately put into words."
NFL Super Bowl XLIX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC on Sunday, Feb. 1. Watch Toyota's "How Great I Am" ad here.
For more on Purdy and her father watch Toyota's segment here.
