Recovered Quadriplegic Swims From Alcatraz Island to Raise Money, Awareness

After recovering from a paralyzing injury, Rob Heitz is not wasting a moment of his second chance. In August, the 41-year-old Chicagoan swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco in order to raise money and awareness for the Paralysis Recovery Foundation, which he founded in 2018. The organization supports nonprofit clinics that assist people who are paralyzed in their recovery journeys. Nearly 20 years before his swim, Heitz was paralyzed from the chest down after mistakenly diving into shallow water, an injury that 95% of people never recover from. “The first time that I moved something … obviously for me it was enormous,” Heitz told NBC News. And he has come a long way since being able to once again wiggle his toes. Heitz’s friends came up with the idea for him to complete the daunting ocean swim from Alcatraz to the city’s Aquatic Park, and after some initial hesitation, he decided to go for it. “There’s no inspiration like having been paralyzed,” he said, later adding, “The imagery of Alcatraz as a prison and the feeling of the experience of being paralyzed — it feels like being in prison — and it seems like a fitting end to the story.”

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