Former quadriplegic aims to walk a mile

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An Indianapolis man is defying the odds by recovering from a spinal cord injury.

Thirty-year-old Chris Leeuw is getting ready to take part in the Louisville Marathon. Not to run it. His goal is to walk a mile.

"Walking, just the simple task of walking is incredibly uncomfortable. But the fact that I'm able to do it is pretty amazing" said Leeuw.

Just two years ago, Leeuw was a quadriplegic. A freak accident ended with his neck being broken. Leeuw says the injury happened after he jumped off a bridge into a river. A second person doing the same thing, at the same time landed on top of him. The weight and impact of the man caused the injury.

"It was instantly like a light switch. I didn't lose consciousness, but I knew something happened."

Paralyzed from the neck down, medics airlifted Leeuw to IU Health Methodist Hospital. Doctors told him he would probably never walk or use his arms again.

"Sometimes I just think back of being in that ICU and staring at nothing but the ceiling tiles. That's all you can stare at. You are really in disbelief. There's like no way this just happened, Leeuw said.

After he left the hospital, Leeuw was moved to a rehab facility where stayed for four months. Discharged on a stretcher, and unable to care for himself, Leeuw moved into a nursing home. Along the way, a faint feeling had returned to his right leg.

It was enough for Leeuw to start treatment at a special rehab facility in Salt Lake City. There he underwent 18 months of intense physical therapy. He had to learn once again how to use his arms and legs.

He had to learn how to walk. He's come a long way, but isn't there yet.

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Former quadriplegic aims to walk a mile