Selma Blair On Her Friend Paralympian Amy Purdy: 'She Teaches Me Not To Be Afraid'

Stefanie Keenan/Getty; Paul Archuleta/Getty Selma Blair and Amy Purdy

When Amy Purdy connected with Selma Blair a few months ago over social media, the Paralympian snowboarder and the actress immediately hit it off.

Purdy, in the midst of a two year battle to walk again, found inspiration in Blair's courage and candor in sharing her story of living with multiple sclerosis, which has impacted the Cruel Intention star's ability to walk and talk.

"Selma's so loving and so supportive," Purdy, 41, tells PEOPLE. "She's going through so much herself and she's this beautiful and strong woman and an example of resilience. We both, along with Amanda Kloots, have this great connection where we want to support each other, and by doing that, also inspire others."

Blair, 48, was also inspired by Purdy, whose legs were amputated below the knee over twenty years ago, at age 19, after contracting bacterial meningitis, and who's life as a champion snowboarder, a finalist on Dancing with the Stars, author and motivational speaker became a testament to resilience.

Courtesy Amy Purdy Amy Purdy

"Amy is an outlier," Blair writes in a statement to PEOPLE. "She is one who can open your eyes to an alternate sense of being. I have never known people with such grace in a constant challenge. Amanda Kloots is another whose spirit brings calm and comfort. When COVID is over, Amy and Amanda are strongholds to learn from in person."

For more on Purdy, pick up a copy of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

"Amy has a way of turning any dark corner into a passage," Blair continues. "Amy teaches me through life to not be afraid. She celebrates. She cries. She is practical and angelic. And if I am hit low and pain brings me to a standstill, Amy is a welcome reference. Not a comparison. A reference of a great person. Still soaring. I will push my own physical self because of her."

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Amy Purdy on Sharing Her Latest Setbacks: You Just Got to Keep Going and This Is My Journey Doing That

Twenty years ago, she lost both legs — then beat the odds as a top snowboarder and a finalist on Dancing with the Stars. But in 2019, a blood clot in her left leg led to seven challenging surgeries. Inside her courageous journey to recovery.

Blair writes that her friendship with Purdy has helped her through the mental challenges of her illness.

"I am completely alright," she writes. "And if I wouldn't have found her, it may have taken me longer to see that. I love her. I'd welcome her any day in any way. I know what her gorgeous patience and tenacity do for all people who come across her."