Sam Schmidt Henderson, NV

C 3/4/5, January 2000

In January, 2000, Sam Schmidt was one of America’s top open wheel race car drivers. Then, during a practice run at Walt Disney World Speedway, his car collided with the racetrack wall at 160 miles per hour. The hit knocked him unconscious, unable to breathe. He sustained a C-3/4/5 SCI. Initially ventilator dependent, he was breathing on his own again within three months. Five months later he progressed from no movement to full neck rotation.

Shortly after his injury, he started Sam Schmidt Motorsports, a racing team which currently runs four teams in the Indy Pro Series (IPS) of IndyCar, and fields a car for the Indianapolis 500. In 2004, 2006, and 2007 the team captured the Indy Pro Series title.

He also founded the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) to raise the necessary dollars to fund medical research, and increase awareness of SCI. SSPF holds Day at the Races programs, hosting SCI individuals and their families. The Foundation also provides Quality of Life grants to organizations benefiting the disabled as well as college scholarships for people with spinal cord injuries. Sam and the Foundation’s CEO, Ida Cahill, work tirelessly advocating for the disabled.