It was a day that took a year to accomplish. It was a moment that will forever last in the memories of those closely involved. Through sweat and tears, a student athlete’s goal was met with smiles and strength.

Senior Kylie Schalz climbed 103 flights of stairs Sunday morning as she participated in the SkyRise Chicago event at the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago. The Oakland University softball athlete made the climb in about an hour and a half, accompanied by her parents and high school friends.

For Schalz, the climb meant more to her than just raising money for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, who organized the SkyRise event. In 2011, she was paralyzed following scoliosis surgery.

Paralyzing story

Schalz’s career as a softball player began at Oakland in 2009. The mechanical engineering major wasted no time making an impact with the Golden Grizzlies, recording two home runs and driving in 13 runs during her first season. She played in all 41 games, starting in 34 of those.

Schalz continued her success over the next two seasons, playing her last in 2011. She recorded four home runs and 13 runs, drove in a team high of 26 runs and had a .275 batting average. She also tied for fourth on Oakland’s all-time home runs list.

After the season ended, Schalz had a wrench thrown into the works.

In June 2011, Schalz went in for surgery for scoliosis. Surgeons were going to fuse rods to her spine. During the surgery, she suffered a spinal cord stroke which left Schalz paralyzed from the chest down.

Schalz was told she would never walk again following the surgery. The scoliosis surgery was to correct a curvature in her spine before it became inoperable. The surgery took place at the T5 vertebra and below, but the stroke happened at the T4 vertebra in Schalz’s spine. There was no damage done by the surgeons to that area of her spine, but swelling had occurred, leaving Schalz paralyzed.

“After 10 weeks at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago I was able to walk out their doors with just forearm crutches and able to work hard enough to be able to run and climb the Willis Tower a year later,” Schalz said.

A few weeks ago, Schalz suffered another setback as she lost feeling and strength in her legs. She spent two weeks back at the RIC, where she was released 10 days before the Willis Tower climb.

“I was very emotionally down after achieving my goal of running and hitting again for softball and then having that happen, I needed something to push me to keep going,” Schalz said. “I think completing this has pushed me to get my senior season in.”

Support network

Schalz’s parents and close friends aided her in her climb. Her father, Bill Schalz, is highly supportive of the RIC.

“When she was first paralyzed and she was in the hospital, it took four people to move her from the bed to the chair,” Bill said. “We get to the RIC, one woman about 5’5, Martha, helps her by herself in like two seconds. At that moment we knew we were in the major leagues.”

While trying to fight back tears in the SkyDeck of the Willis Tower, Bill said it was an amazing and inspiring sight to see his daughter go from paralyzed a year ago to climbing the Willis.

“We did this last year to support her and to support the RIC and then to see her do it this year,” Bill said. “Her legs were locking up (on the climb), so we helped to get those moving again.”

Neither Schalz nor her father discredited the help she received from Oakland in addition to the RIC.

“Also at Oakland, to have a physical therapist on staff to work with Kylie every day, she never could have gotten that therapy and we never could have done that on our own through outpatient,” Bill said. “What Oakland did for her is equally amazing and we have a great deal of gratitude not only for the RIC but for Oakland and all they’ve done for her.”

Despite his own pain, Bill fought alongside Schalz and her team to reach the top.

“She was going to finish this thing come hell or high water,” Bill said.

One last outing

Schlaz said she completed one goal by climbing the tower Sunday, but she has another one she wants to accomplish before her graduation.

“It’s everything I have been working for the last year and a half,” she said. “It would mean, literally, the world to just get out there again and get one more at-bat. I don’t want to end it by getting hit by a pitch. My last at-bat ended with me getting hit by a pitch and breaking my hand, so I don’t want that happening again.”

Schalz has received a lot of support from classmates and other Oakland athletes have told her she inspires them when they see her in the weight room. Because the SkyRise Chicago event is a fundraiser for the RIC, Schalz’s team raised an estimated $2,800 – some of which came from classmates and peers.

Despite being told she may never walk again, Schalz decided she would never want to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Through determination and faith, she fought to be able to walk again.

Schalz expressed the same sentiment to others who may find themselves in a similar situation.

“Don’t give up, nothings impossible,” she said. “If you stay positive, you’ll get better and if you don’t you, won’t get better.”

Rehab Institute of Chicago

This year’s SkyRise Chicago event was the fourth held by the RIC.

Zac Vawter displayed the world’s first neural-controlled bionic leg in its first public test, using it to climb the 103 floors and 2,109 steps of the Willis Tower. U.S. Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois also participated in the event, following Schalz and her team out of the stairwell, though only climbing from the 66th floor up.

Kirk suffered a stroke in January, and gave his first public interview to media in attendance Sunday morning.

Chicago firefighters also participated, climbing the tower in full uniform and equipment, arriving at the top to cheers and applause.

“SkyRise Chicago is the planet’s tallest stair climb event,” said Mike Carr, director of the event. “In addition to that, we can find nowhere else that does a hand-cycle competition alongside a stair-climbing competition.”

For those who may be unable to walk, the RIC and event organizers had hand-cycles setup, with participants using these bikes to mimic the distance the climbers face in the stair wells.

“There is only one Willis Tower,” said Jude Reyes, chairman on the RIC board. “And it is the tallest building in Chicago and one of the tallest in the world. People who walk up the stairs in this event never look at the Willis Tower the same.”

Over 2,700 climbers participated in Sunday’s event, while 40 took advantage of the hand cycles. Many of those participating in the events, like Kylie and Kirk, are former patients to the RIC and their families and friends.

Every year, SkyRise Chicago raises nearly $1 million to support their rehabilitation services and research. According to U.S. News & World Report, the RIC is the top-ranked rehabilitation hospital in the nation and provides care to patients from around the world. It has held the top position for 22 years straight.

The RIC itself was originally founded 60 years ago to replicate the rehabilitation care World War II veterans received. Today, the RIC treats over 50,000 patients with ailments ranging from strokes, spinal cord and brain injuries as well as amputations and cerebral palsy.

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Contact Sports Editor Damien Dennis via email at [email protected] or follow on him on Twitter @djdennisOU