The first time Mr. Hollis got in the water after having his legs amputated he was terrified he would sink.

He had been encouraged to start swimming again by the Amputee Association and Windreach Recreational Village.

“They asked me if I would like to come by and see what I could do,” he said.

Although he missed the ability to kick in the water, within a couple of hours he felt at home again in the pool.

He has now been swimming for eight months.

At the Desert Challenge Games for disabled athletes held in May in Arizona, Mr. Hollis took two firsts in swimming.

“I did better than I expected,” he said.

“I said a little prayer when I left the start. I was amazed at the result.”

He said that since he lost his legs he has seen a different, more positive side of people.

“Through Windreach and a lot of friends I have made up at the Sandys 360 Sports, Aquatics and Enrichment Centre where I train, I have met people who have been a great inspiration to me.”

Mr. Hollis, who has five children and eight grandchildren, first started having problems with his circulation in his 40s.

“My toes and fingers were always cramping up, especially in the summer time, but I lived with it for a long time,” he said.

Eventually, he decided to have his problems addressed. The result was 12 years of pain and suffering through almost 40 surgeries.

“It was kind of a relief when they took my last leg off,” he said.

“They didn’t give up, they tried.”

He said in the past, he’d loved motorsports and boat racing. He worked at several places including at the Hamilton Princess as a maintenance mechanic, at SAL Trading Limited and at Works & Engineering.

He said it was quite a shock for a previously able-bodied person to see what people with disabilities go through on a daily basis.

Something as simple as a Harbour Nights performance can become a source of frustration.

“Before the performance starts, everyone is careful not to stand in front of the wheelchair,” Mr. Hollis said.

“After it starts all you can see is backs. In other places, at events like that they have “no stand zones” so that people in wheelchairs can see.

He said even when the community tries to help people with disabilities they often don’t think their actions through.

“They have parking bays for handicapped people, but if the next car parks, you can’t open the door and get your wheel chair out,” he said.

“This is Bermuda and the way I see it is about the dollar and not the human race.”

But he said during his lifetime he had seen many positive changes come about for the community.

So, he was hopeful that there would be improvements made for people with disabilities.