A Brooklyn man has become the first above-the-knee amputee to finish the Empire State Building Run-Up.

Rudy Garcia-Tolson, 29, was born with a congenital birth defect causing his legs to be webbed at the knees. He underwent 15 surgeries and at age 5 had both of his legs amputated.

Born and raised in California, Garcia-Tolson says he just wanted to be normal and play sports, making it his mission to challenge himself every day.

"I always tell kids the coolest part of having no legs is that I get to be as tall as I want or shorter," he says.

It took Garcia-Tolson 30 minutes to complete Wednesday's run up more than 1,000 steps.

In addition to completing multiple triathlons and winning two gold medals in the Paralympics, Garcia-Tolson also raises awareness for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization that helps others like him pursue their dreams and compete.

"I love being able to go out and show everybody just because I have no legs, doesn't mean you need to treat me any different," he says.