( CNN ) -- When Zac Vawter put his mind to climbing the 103 floors of Chicago 's iconic Willis Tower , his legs did the rest . Even the one that is n't human . The Seattle resident scaled the skyscraper 's stairway heights on Sunday thanks to what the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago calls the `` world 's first neural-controlled bionic leg . '' In other words , when Vawter thinks about going somewhere , it sends a signal to his prosthetic right leg that spurs it to move . This kind of technology has been implemented before in arms and fingers , but never before in a leg . While Vawter , 31 , has been part of the Illinois rehab center 's trial for about a year , this weekend 's fourth annual SkyRise Chicago fundraiser was the first public test of the technology . There was no guarantee he 'd successfully climb the entire skyscraper formerly known as the Sears Tower , but he 'd certainly give it a shot . Yet there he was -- 53 minutes , 9 seconds after he set off -- in the tower 's SkyDeck Chicago , and seemingly on top of the world . 'Bionic blonde ' uses triathlon to take control . `` It was a good goal for the team to shoot for , and we hit it , '' he said immediately afterward . This perch was a far cry from where Vawter found himself three years earlier , in a hospital room after his leg was amputated following a motorcycle accident . He 'd long been a runner , competing for St. Martin 's University in Lacey , Washington , in races like the 800 , 3,000 and 5,000 meters as well as in cross-country events . And now , all of a sudden , he was a patient with just one leg . But Vawter took a positive turn when he teamed up with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago , which U.S. News and World Report ranks as the nation 's top rehab hospital . He became a willing human guinea pig for researchers testing the one-of-a-kind prosthetic . In an interview with CNN affiliate WLS prior to Sunday 's climb , Vawter called the new leg `` a dramatic improvement over my normal prosthetic . '' `` It 's something exciting and fun , and I hope that we push the boundaries of what the research and the leg is capable of , '' he said . Levi Hargrove , from the Chicago rehab center , told WLS that `` really advanced hardware '' makes the device work . `` We record all of the data on the computer , and then teach this small microcomputer what it looks like '' as the leg moves , Hargrove adds . Vawter was met with cheers as he entered the skyscraper 's front door on Sunday morning , then again after he trekked up the final steps . He had plenty of company and fellow inspiration as he went skyward , as one of about 3,000 people making the climb and raising roughly $ 1 million for the rehab center . Among them was U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk , who has worked tirelessly with the Rehabilitation Institute since suffering a stroke last January . In his first public appearance since then , he climbed 37 flights in about an hour . `` However bad it looks , if you or a loved one has suffered a debilitating stroke , you could be climbing the tower one day with us , '' Kirk said afterward , in comments provided by RIC . `` Do n't give up ! '' That is Vawter 's mindset as well . He 's happy to help the cause , and to move forward in his own life with his new prosthetic 's help . `` It feels awesome , '' he said of the leg .
A collegiate runner , Zac Vawter had his right leg amputated after a motorcycle accident . He has been equipped with a prosthetic that ascertains his intentions and then moves . Vawter climbs up Chicago 's Willis Tower in 53 minutes , 9 seconds . Comment: