SCI Superstar: Patrick Rummerfield

Patrick Rummerfield, the world’s first fully-recovered quadriplegic, has been helping others with spinal cord injuries for decades. Injured in 1974 at the age of 21, he went on to show the world that not every spinal cord injury is permanent. Read on for his fearless story.

Why He’s Fearless

After breaking his neck in a car accident, Patrick refused to accept that he had only three days to live, and if he lived, he would be paralyzed from the neck down. 85% of spinal cord was injured at the C4 level.

But instead of a letting doctors put him in a nursing home, Patrick worked hard in rehab for 3 years and was able to get a miraculous amount of function back. How was able to do it with only 15% of the spinal cord still intact? By using activity-based therapy. By falling over and picking himself up again, over and over, and using gait training, Patrick was able to walk again in 3 years. He founded NextSteps Foundation in 1994, one of the first activity-based therapy centers in the world.

Patrick continued his therapy for 14 more years at his facility, helping himself and others. Despite still having temperature control issues, weak hand and leg muscles and bladder and bowel issues, he is still walking and fully independent. After regaining the ability to walk, Patrick also got into car racing. For over 10 years, he held the land speed record for driving an electric vehicle, and in 2009, he raced in a drag race in the ADRL World Finals. 

Triathlons have become another passion of his. In 1992, he became the first incomplete quadriplegic to participate in an Ironman triathlon, and in 1997, he ran in the Antarctic Marathon. He also published a book in 2012, Green Bananas, his memoirs, but some of his most important work has been as Community Liaison for the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute, a job he’s held since 2004. In this job, he interacts with newly injured patients, giving them the hope they desperately need.

What’s Next?

As he has aged, Patrick, still married to his wife and loving life, is busier than ever. He is still the Community Liaison at Kennedy Krieger, working from his home in St. Louis. Patrick is also a member of SPINALpedia (member profile here). Make sure to check out his videos. And he’s an amazing motivational speaker and has spoken at big-name corporations over the years like Microsoft and General Motions, sharing his inspiring journey and his message of “never give up.”

— Official site of Patrick Rummerfield