Quadriplegic Completes Inspiring Swim From Maggie To Townsville

Image: Bruce Muller

The gruelling Magnetic Island to Townsville Swim had biceps throbbing on Sunday morning. 

Whilst crowds gathered to cheer on competitors, the spotlight couldn't be taken off one particular swimmer. 

Quadriplegic Jonas Luetke took to the salty waters doing a double arm backstroke. 

His tremendous efforts saw him conquer the swim in just over 4 hours. 

Image: Bruce Muller

The Germany born athlete who now calls Cairns home had his life completely change in 2014.

"On the 9th of April 2014, my life took a big turn. While skydiving in the outback of Queensland close to Goondiwindi, I had a free fall collision with a fellow skydiver at around 10,000 feet altitude," Jonas writes on his website. 

The accident resulted in a severely dislocated neck and a spinal cord injury.

Image: Bruce Muller

In the collision, he instantly paralysed his hands, arms and everything below his chest. 

Jonas knows he was very lucky to not die that day and has grabbed life by the horns ever since. 

Jonas got the inspiration to do the 8km swim while watching an interview.

"The idea came to me when I was watching an interview with the South African triathlete Pieter En Illse DuPreez who is a C6 quadriplegic himself and became the the worlds first quadriplegic to finish a full Ironman in Busselton WA a couple of years back."

The adrenaline junkie's next project is "Wheels to the sky" which will hopefully see Jonas feeling the freedom of being in the clouds again. 

Read more about it here.