Adam Gorlitsky reflects on historic Cooper River Bridge Run

Original article and accompanying video by ABC News Charleston can be found here

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Two days removed from finishing his historic Cooper River Bridge Run, Adam Gorlitsky is still soaking in his achievement.

“I’ll be holding on to this the rest of my life,” he said, clutching the finish line in his hands.

He finished Saturday’s race seven hours after it started, at a makeshift finish line. But he didn’t give up.

“So proud of you, I’m so proud of you,” said a neighbor passing by his home.

The attention is spreading quickly.

“Adam, good news, call,” read a text message from his father. “Answer the phone from LA, it’s the Ellen show, I just got off the phone with them.”

Driving around his city is a reminder of what he’s overcome.

“That’s the basketball court where I made my first three pointer,” while wearing in his exo-skeleton suit, he said. “It took me about 25 tries.”

He says it’s just starting to hit him that finishing the bridge run affected so many people.

“Takes a couple days of processing what just happened. It was like reliving my car accident in a positive way. The amount of struggle to survive, really.”

Mike Maguire is the tech guy for Gorlitsky’s exo suit, made by ReWalk.

“The ReWalk can’t do it without him, he can’t do it without the ReWalk, and they both did it,” he said.

He’s still in awe of Gorlitsky’s accomplishment.

“I was looking at the bridge last night and thought, ‘He walked across that thing, he walked across it.’ I’m about to cry.”

Adam says his spirit is stronger than ever.

“A lot of people say this, ‘You’ve changed the world.’ I feel like this technology changes the world,” Gortlitsky said.

He hopes to continue championing that change.

“All I can do is use this technology to inspire others,” he said. “I got into this to change my world, and now I just want to change somebody else’s world.”

He’ll do just that as he continues to walk.

“I really am taking this perceived weakness, my injury, my legs, not being able to use them, and turning it into a positive. And that’s an amazing feeling knowing that.”