Amy Purdy dances alongside a robotic arm during Rio 2016 Paralympics opening ceremony

Amy Purdy dances with a robotic arm
channel4
Standard Sport8 September 2016

American snowboarder Amy Purdy stole the show inside the Maracana this evening with a breath-taking dance alongside a robotic arm.

To represent unison with technology, the 36-year-old – who has starred in the American version of Dancing With The Stars – wowed the Maracana with her choreographed routine with the machine.

Purdy had both her legs amputated below the knee at the age of 19 after contracting Neisseria meningitis. Infection would also cost her both kidney, while her spleen also had to be removed.

Speaking in the lead up to Paralympics, the American spoke of the ‘honour’ of appearing in Rio.

“I am honoured and filled with pride about dancing in the opening ceremony,” she told the Las Vegas Review Journal. “Having won a bronze medal for Team USA in the 2014 Winter Olympics snowboarding in Sochi, Russia, it’s really interesting to be back as a non-competitor.”

You can watch a segment from her routine in the videos below…

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