Paralyzed race car driver Sam Schmidt takes first steps thanks | The world is good

Paralyzed race car driver Sam Schmidt takes first steps thanks to new tech

The former Indy race car driver, who was left paralyzed from the shoulders down after a racing accident in 2000, was able to stand up and take his first steps in more than two decades. To help Schmidt walk again, a team of engineers from Arrow Electronics designed an “exoskeleton” that supports his legs, allowing him to stand and walk forward while a person helps him balance from behind.

“I've almost ran out of words to describe the feeling in this entire process,” Schmidt said. “Epic. Mega. Unbelievable. After 21 years, I didn't remember what the view was like. ... I haven't gotten a full-body hug in 21 years, you know. And we got some of those today.”

Schmidt never lost his passion for racing. He drove again a few years ago and even participated in several races using a specially designed Corvette that allows him to control the car using only the movements of his head.

There was hardly a dry eye on the race course as Schmidt took his first steps, including from Schmidt himself as he described how he has dreamed of walking ever since his accident.

“In 21 years, I've never had a dream where I was in a wheelchair,” he said. “I'm always walking around with my kids and the race team and everything else.” It was also an emotional scene for Tim Baughman, one of the crew members who pulled Schmidt from the wreckage all those years ago.

Schmidt described his new exoskeleton as a “1.0” design and said that engineers are working on even more advanced versions of the device. “Their goal with it is that I won't need to be balanced and that I will be able to operate it completely, myself, which is a mega-task,” he said.

In the meantime, his current device has already helped him achieve one major dream: dancing at his daughter’s wedding. “I'm surprised I have any tears left,” Schmidt said. “It's been a wild month, for sure.”