Metro

Paralyzed veterans competing in race in exoskeleton suit

Go, go gadget legs!

The ‘ReWalk’Angel Chevrestt

A paralyzed Bronx Army vet will compete in a 1-mile race at Riverside Park today — with the help of bionic limbs.

Gene Laureano, 51, is one of seven contenders from across the world racing in the ReWalk, a robotic exoskeleton suit that’s turning wounded warriors into iron men and women.

Laureano (center) with Pierre Asselin (left) a biomedical engineer, and Steven Knezevic, an exercise physiologistAngel Chevrestt

“It’s the closest to walking that I can get. It’s a very good feeling,” said Laureano, a father of four who became paralyzed 12 years ago after falling from a ladder at his construction job. “If anyone thinks I’m attending the race to lose, you’re mistaken.”

Laureano will lock legs with other ReWalk users, including Mike Kurys, who was a city fireman until an injury in 2010 and still works for the FDNY, and architect Robert Woo, who became paralyzed after a crane accident at the site of the new Goldman Sachs headquarters six years ago.

Known as Team ReWalk, the bionic racers are competing in the run/walk to raise money for the spinal-cord injury research program that helped some of them proudly strut after years of sitting.

Laureano and Team ReWalk raised more than $30,000 for the Exoskeletal-Assisted Walking Program at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

The race was organized by Generosity NYC, which helps charities raise funds through run/walk events.

Doctors at the Bronx VA Medical Center trained Laureano and 11 others to use the futuristic gams, and are finishing clinical trials to determine the health-related benefits of walking again.

The exoskeleton was invented by Israeli doctor Amit Goffer, who became a quadriplegic in 1997 after an ATV accident.

“I looked around and thought, why is a wheelchair the only solution for a paralyzed individual?” Goffer told The Post.

The ReWalk contains two motorized limbs that strap to the legs, hips and trunk. The 44-pound suit, which requires crutches, is powered by a wristwatch remote and backpack battery.

It has motion sensors that detect when users lean forward and begins moving. It costs about $70,000, but its developers hope for a lower retail price along with FDA approval.

For Laureano, who took his first step at the VA in January, that approval can’t come soon enough.

“In a wheelchair, it just feels like you’re existing in life, not participating,” Laureano said. “After trying this, it’s created an enthusiasm in me. I want to get out.”