HE INSPIRES US EVERY DAY.
ITS A PRACTICE DAY AT THE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.
McLAREN TEAM OWNER SAM SCHMIDT
IS STANDING TRACKSIDE.
WE SAID STANDING.
SAM SCHMIDT AND A QUADRIPLEGIC.
WHEN YOU WERE IN THE BED 20 SOME
YEARS AGO, FLAT ON YOUR BACK IN
FLORIDA, DID YOU THINK THIS WAS
POSSIBLE?
>> NOT EVEN CLOSE.
YEAH, WE DIDNT KNOW IF ID MAKE
IT THE FIRST WEEK, LET ALONE THE
FIRST MONTH.
>> Reporter: SCHMIDT WAS THEN AN
INDYCAR DRIVER.
A CRASH IN ORLANDO LEFT HIM
PARALYZED FROM THE SHOULDERS
DOWN.
>> EVERYBODY THOUGHT IT WAS
INSANE, WHY WOULD I GO BACK TO A
SPORT THAT PUT ME IN A
WHEELCHAIR?
IVE BEEN RACING SINCE I WAS 5
YEARS OLD.
ITS ALL I EVER WANTED TO DO,
COMPETE AT THIS PLACE.
THAT, TO ME, IS WHAT KEPT ME
ALIVE FOR 21 YEARS.
>> Reporter: WE FIRST MET SAM
FIVE YEARS AGO.
TRUTH BE TOLD, WE HAD OUR
DOUBTS.
COULD A MAN IN HIS CONDITION
ACTUALLY DRIVE?
YUP.
THREE YEARS LATER, HE BROUGHT
HIS MUCH-IMPROVED, HIGH-TECH CAR
TO NEW YORK.
WE RODE WITH HIM THROUGH
MANHATTAN TRAFFIC, FROM HARLEM
TO ROCKEFELLER PLAZA.
RACED UP PIKES PIKE AND HES
COMPETED IN AN AMATEUR RACE.
WHAT IF, WONDERED THE PEOPLE AT
ARROW ELECTRONICS, THEY COULD
GET SAM WALKING?
WHEN THEY PRESENTED YOU WITH THE
IDEA OF R LETS, LETS TRY TO DO
WHATD YOU SAY?
>> WHERE DO I SIGN UP?
WHAT DO I DO?
>> Reporter: SAMS TEAM GOT HIM
SET UP IN AN EXOSKELETON.
>> THIS IS 1.0.
THEIR GOAL WITH IT IS I WONT
NEED TO BE BALANCED AND THAT I
WILL BE ABLE TO OPERATE IT
COMPLETELY MYSELF.
WHICH IS A MEGA-TASK.
>> Reporter: IMAGINE, WALKING
WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
SAM DOES.
DO YOU DREAM ABOUT IT?
>> THATS A FUNNY THING, HARRY.
IN 21 YEARS, IVE NEVER HAD A
DREAM WHERE I WAS IN A
WHEELCHAIR.
>> Reporter: WOW.
>> IM ALWAYS -- SORRY.
IM ALWAYS WALKING AROUND, YOU
KNOW, WITH MY KIDS AND THE RACE
TEAM AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
>> Reporter: THAT MORNING, SAMS
RACING TEAM SAW SOMETHING THEY
HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
>> YEAH!
>> Reporter: THEIR BOSS NOT IN A
WHEELCHAIR.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO BE
STANDING UP?
>> IVE ALMOST RAN OUT OF WORDS
TO DESCRIBE THE FEELING IN THIS
ENTIRE PROCESS.
EPIC.
MEGA.
UNBELIEVABLE.
AFTER 21 YEARS, I DIDNT
REMEMBER WHAT THE VIEW WAS LIKE.
>> Reporter: THE VIEW?
>> THE VIEW.
I HAVENT GOTTEN A FULL BODY HUG
IN 21 YEARS.
WE GOT SOME OF THOSE TODAY.
>> Reporter: THERE WERE TEARS
WHEN TIM BOWMAN SAW SAM THAT
DAY.
>> THATS PRETTY WILD.
>> Reporter: BOWMAN WAS PART OF
THE CREW THAT PULLED SAM FROM
THE WRECKAGE 21 YEARS AGO.
>> SEEMS TO ME YOU WERE HAVING H
TOGETHER WHEN YOU SAW SAM WALK
OUT.
>> YEAH.
ITS NOT SOMETHING WE, YOU
KNOW -- IVE BEEN A PARAMEDIC
FOR 38 YEARS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH PROGNOSIS
THAT HE HAD, WE DONT SEE THIS.
I MEAN, ITS INSPIRATIONAL TO
TELL.
>> Reporter: PUSHING LIMITS
SEEMS TO BE IN SAMS DNA.
THE WORD CANT IS NOT IN HIS
VOCABULARY.
LIKE BUILDING THE DRIVEN NEURO
NEURORECOVERY CENTER IN LAS
VEGAS AND LEADING THE CONQUER
PARALYSIS NOW FOUNDATION.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE THERE IS
A PART OF YOU THAT FEELS LIKE
MAYBE YOU WERE CHOSEN?
LIKE YOURE THE GUY WHO CAN RISE
ABOVE THIS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WAY, WAY, WAY MORE IMPORTANT
THAN ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE
AS A PROFESSIONAL RACE CAR
DRIVER.
>> Reporter: STANDING UP,
GETTING OUT OF THE WHEELCHAIR,
ITS BEEN A BIG SPRING FOR SAM.
I SAW YOU COMING ONTO THIS CART,
AND I KEPT LOOKING AT YOUR EMPTY
WHEELCHAIR.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO LEAVE
THAT BEHIND?
>> ITS AMAZING.
I THINK IM READY TO HANG A "FOR
SALE" SIGN ON IT.
>> Reporter: MOST IMPORTANT OF
ALL WAS THIS MOMENT.
>> YES!
>> Reporter: WHEN HE DANCED WITH
HIS DAUGHTER AT HER WEDDING.
>> TEARS.
ITS BEEN A WILD MONTH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> Reporter: AND THE WILD SPRING
CONTINUES FOR SAM.
ILL TELL YA, GET THE KLEENEX
OUT, ITS TOO MUCH.
HE HAS THREE CARS AND THREE
DRIVERS ON HIS TEAM, ALL THREE
QUALIFIED FOR THE INDY RACE ON
SUNDAY.
>> WOW.
>> YEAH, RIGHT?
AND AS I SAY, AND AS HE SAYS,
THIS GIZMO HES WORKING WITH
NOW, ITS 1.0, SORT OF WHAT THE
CAR WAS LIKE FIVE, SIX, SEVEN
YEARS AGO.
WHO KNOWS WHAT IT MIGHT TURN
INTO TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE
YEARS IN OUR FUTURE.
JUST AMAZING.
>> TRAILBLAZER.
>> WOW.
>> SPEECHLESS HERE.
>> ON SO MANY LEVELS.
DANCING WITH HIS DAUGHTER AT HER
WEDDING.
INCREDIBLE.
>> RIGHT?
>> HARRY, WE LOVE YOU.