Amy Liss And Her Attitude of Gratitude - Part 1

ESPNw -- Soccer legend Julie Foudy and Amy

Amy Liss and her twin sister, Kelly, entered this world three months before their due date. Kelly, had no lasting effects from the premature birth, while Amy lives with severe Cerebral Palsy. Amy is unable to stand, feed herself or do many of the things most take for granted.

Yet, when you talk with Amy, 35, she makes it sound as if she hit life’s jackpot. In fact, her motto is to “Live Each Day with an Attitude of Gratitude.” Amy works part-time in the development office of Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. In the first of a two-part Q&A, discover more about Amy’s action-packed life, her support system and friendship with soccer legend Julie Foudy.

BP:  You have said this is the only body you know. What do you mean by that?

AL: I was born with Cerebral Palsy.  Others that lose abilities know what it’s like to have had them.  I don’t. I’m used to this body.

BP: You were in regular classes from kindergarten on and just recently were inducted into the Downers Grove South Distinguished Alumni Wall of Honor. Congrats! How did you achieve so much success in school?

AL: I’m a bit of a perfectionist so I always worked hard and I’m blessed with a good memory. Doing my best is just who I am. I also had the benefit of fabulous 1:1 aides to help me. I built great relationships with them. They understood me and how I learned best and were able to give me extra help when I needed it. My parents also supported my studies and everything I did at school.  We did a lot of homework together as a family.

BP: How does your family support you?

AL: My family means everything to me. I need a team to help me every day.  I hope I’m the captain of my team but my family guides and supports everything I do. I live with my parents in Downers Grove in the home I’ve grown up in.  My parents are retired now but have always devoted themselves to their three girls.  My dad, Tom, is a retired IT Project Manager but will never be really retired. He still does frequent consulting and has many hobbies and interests. My dad has given me a strong work ethic, the gift of humor and the ability to go with the flow and have fun. My mom taught Special Education at Downers Grove North High School for 36 years.  She is a very giving person and is always helping others. She has modeled a strong faith and is always there to listen to and share in my joys and challenges. I have two sisters, Kelly and Lindsay.  Kelly and I are identical twins and were born 3 months premature. We have always been very close and I can always count on her to help me, listen to me, laugh with me and understand me like only a twin can.  She also works at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley as the Director of Special Events and Marketing.  It’s fun to both work in the same department.  Kelly is married to Brian and they have a 4-year-old son, Owen.   They live in Oak Park.  My younger sister, Lindsay, is married to K.C.  They live in Glen Ellen and have a 2-year-old daughter, Eve.  She is a haircolorist in downtown Naperville.  She keeps me laughing and teaches me to worry less and not get stressed.  

BP: How much do you like being an aunt?

AL: Being an Aunt to Owen and Eve is my greatest joy.  I’m so grateful to be the Godmother for both Owen and Eve.  I see them often and love the way they play with me.They don’t see a disability.  They just see my love for them. They both love climbing on my wheelchair, feeding me crackers and singing songs with me. It makes me feel so good to be a big part of their lives. 

BP: How surreal is it now to go back each Friday to Hillcrest Elementary School and volunteer at the school you attended?

AL: Fridays are my favorite day of the week because I LOVE being at the grade school.This is year 18 of Fabulous Fun Fridays and it is so wonderful to have built relationships with staff and students.  The kids now look for me on Fridays and know how to help me and let me help them. I love their curiosity, excitement and willingness to ask me questions about anything! I love helping them with their work but most of all I love helping them feel comfortable around me and my wheelchair. 

BP: You are probably best known for your tireless devotion to Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, first as a volunteer and now as a staff member. What has that experience been like?

AL: Volunteering has been a way of life for me for as long as I can remember. My parents always modeled giving back and helping others and I love giving the gift of time to others anyway I can. Volunteering at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley led to part-time employment there so it certainly led to bigger and better things.  I was hired in 2006 to work in the Development Department. My title now is Relationship Coordinator.  I like to say I use my smile and my charm to educate others about Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley and the positive services provided by our facility.

BP: You do so much public speaking for colleges, schools and for Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. This is something many people are phobic about. Do you get nervous?

AL: I credit my Downers Grove South sophomore high school English teacher, Ms. Judy Hamontre, with my comfort level in public speaking.  I was very nervous to give my first speech; I will always remember how good I felt to have it over! I’m very comfortable speaking now because I usually share my own story and/or talk about my passions. I know that material well.  I do a lot of preparation with my Mom before each speech and I almost always have my presentations written out word for word. My goal is to use the paper less and less but I need it to keep me on track.  I do get nervous before big speeches. Once I start talking I’m usually at ease – and my Mom is more nervous than I am.

BP: Your hallmark is your positive attitude. What do you complain about? There must be something, right? When you have a bad day, how do you try to turn it around?

AL: I really don’t complain because complaining doesn’t change things, and you don’t have to look very far to find a person that is worse off than you. I do get frustrated sometimes because I need help with everything and it would be nice to not have to rely so much on others for assistance. When I have a bad day (not a whole day that’s bad, but some little irritations or worries) I turn to my faith, pray for patience and enjoy spending time alone in my room listening to music (Zak Brown Band, Christian Music, Club Nouveau’s version of Lean on Me). I’ll also think of people that make me smile and that turns my emotions around pretty quickly.”

BP: How did you develop your philosophy – Live Each Day with an Attitude of Gratitude?

AL: A friend of mine was making a video for me to show when I spoke at the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy in 2013. She asked me if I had a favorite quote that I wanted to put at the end of the video.  I didn’t have one and it just popped in my head to say how about, “Live Each Day with an Attitude of Gratitude."  I liked it and it stuck. It’s now my motto in life.

BP: How did you meet retired American soccer legend Julie Foudy, who is now an ESPN commentator, well-known author and leader of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy (JFSLA)? How has she changed your life? What experiences have you had as a result of knowing her?

AL: For 10 years Julie ran Leadership Camps in the Chicago area.  Her camps teach young girls soccer but also focus heavily on leadership, teamwork and service. One afternoon of camp, the girls go out and do community service.  Easterseals in Villa Park was a place some campers came to visit and serve.  Julie would visit the service sites and I met her then. We exchanged small talk and she remembered me each year. In 2013 she asked me to come to their camp’s closing ceremony. I watched the girls play soccer and Julie sought me out to help her present their camper awards.  She then said she was mad at herself for not inviting me to come to the camp in previous years and said she wanted me to serve on staff. She asked if we could make that happen? We did, and I am blessed to serve on staff at the JFSLA for six years.

There are no words to say how Julie has changed my life.The opportunities I have had to tell my story and spread my personal message of positivity and gratitude started when other coaches at JFLSA heard me speak and invited me to talk with their athletes at colleges across the country. My speaking engagements and friendships continue to grow.  Julie has taught me to believe in the power of myself and the ability I have to make a difference just as I am.  She teaches that anyone can be a leader – even me. Now I believe that. She stays in touch with me, we have visited at each other’s homes, talk and text regularly and have a very special friendship. She inspires me to stay strong, speak up, take risks and is always cheering for me in everything I do.

Some experiences I have had because of Julie:

·        I serve on staff at her prestigious Leadership Academy for a week every summer.

·        I was featured on the ESPNW website in an article Julie wrote on our friendship.

·        I was featured in an article Julie wrote for the Huffington Post on taking a stand for acceptance and inclusion.

·        I accepted a Leadership Award from America Scores on behalf of Julie.

·        I spoke at the ESPNW Chicago Summit in 2016 and attended in 2017 as her guest.

·        I have spoken to schools and universities across the country.

·        I met Robin Roberts on the set of Good Morning America.

·        I attended numerous professional soccer games and saw the US Women’s National Team      play.

·        I’ve met many professional athletes and Olympians.

·        I have had US Gold and Silver Olympic medals around my neck.  

·        I had Julie and an ESPN film crew in my home filming us all day long, as I was interviewed  by Julie for her first book,

·        I am featured as one of ten women Julie selected as inspirational leaders for her book, Choose to Matter.

·        Julie shared my story as she promoted the book on ESPN Sports Center.

·        I have expanded my network of close, personal friends.

·        I am humbled and honored to be Julie’s friend.

·        (How’s that for some experiences she has given me?)

BP: Thank you Amy. In Part 2, Amy will tell us about the time she presented a World Series ring to Kris Bryant, her VIP seats at Duke and North Carolina basketball games, her unforgettable trip to the Little League World Series and her inspirational book and movie recommendations.

Part 2 will be posted soon.

Why Bobproof?

Since word leaked that I would be starting a blog, I have been bombarded with questions. The most frequent? Why are you calling this Bobproof?

Two primary reasons.

First, to have some fun with my lack of visual perception and small motor skills (see below). Second, as a bonus, the proof part allows me to work through unresolved memories of staring incomprehensively at proofs in high school geometry. I even considered calling this blog BobNeverGotPasttheGiven but, after some thought, it just didn’t flow as well.

So what qualifies as Bobproof? Select examples include:

·        Not babyproofing the house because it is would be Bobproofing it.

·        The feeling of terror when asked to open your child’s juice box at a birthday party

·        Anything a boy scout can do.

·        Virtually anything a cub scout can do.

·        Putting on a gown or smock correctly

·        Relaying what a contractor has just explained

·        Opening any over the counter or prescription medication

·        Tying your child’s ice skates

·        Going without Carmex because the thought of figuring out how to pierce the packaging is simply too much.

The feeling of terror when entering a home improvement store? Figuring out how to change the clock in your car? Being asked to write legibly on a whiteboard? Bobproof, Bobproof, Bobproof.

So what will this blog be about?

I will use this space to write about things that interest me. I’m imagining that means I will expand on the Bobproof theme along with being a dad, sports, pop culture, current events (but hopefully not politics) and the rest TBD.

I also am excited to interview interesting people and share their experiences and perspectives with readers. I will plan to post the first Q and A next week.

Thanks for reading. This should be fun.