In Seconds, He Lost All That He'd Worked For. But He's Not Like Most.

One moment, he was a three-time All-American swimmer. The next, his life changed forever. If it weren’t for the quick thinking of a friend, his dreams might have remained buried in tragedy.

When Mike Nyeholt graduated from USC, he thought his budding swim career would take off.

"I was on the swim team from '75 to '78, three-time All-American. I'm a member three national championship teams. I graduated in 1978."

But an unexpected crash steered him in a new direction.

"I was told that I'd never move again from the chest down."

Lucky to have escaped with his life, he still felt defeated.

But a close friend helped him put everything in perspective.

The swimathon grew into a much bigger effort called "Swim With Mike."

It's now a huge scholarship fund with over 140 recipients. It helps folks that have had a serious accident or illness.

Mike was inspired to share his brave story as part of Universal Pictures “#IAmUnbroken" movement.

It's inspired by an upcoming film, titled "Unbroken," which honors Louis Zamperini, a former Olympian, WWII veteran, and POW survivor.

Mike Nyeholt’s #IAmUnbroken story was posted by USC Athletics — go Trojans! To learn more about Louis Zamperini and the #IAmUnbroken Movement, check out this fabulous Upworthy post. And if you’d like to share your own personal tale of resilience, strength or inspiration, submit it right here. Select stories will also be featured on NBC’s "TODAY" show. Thumbnail image via Thinkstock.

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