SAN FRANCISCO (KNX) — Rob Heitz heard thunderous cheers and applause as he swam from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco shore on Friday.
Swimming nearly a mile and a half across the bay is a feat for anyone, but it’s especially impressive for the 41-year-old from the West Loop in Chicago.
Heitz became a person with quadriplegia after a boating accident on Lake Michigan in 2003. He suffered a spinal cord injury after diving into water only 2 to 3 feet deep. Most people never walk again after an injury of that magnitude. After rehabilitation at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, he could walk and swim again.
“I hope this brings a little joy and hope to anybody who’s feeling a little hopeless,” Heitz said after completing his 64-minute swim.
Heitz is the founder of the Paralysis Recovery Foundation, which helps pay for robotic devices so people like him can enjoy all of the activities that make life great.
Since February, he has logged over 150 miles of swimming.
"There's no inspiration like having been paralyzed," Heitz told NBC Nightly News.
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