But Hegazy regained his strength through training and was able to take up sports he had enjoyed before his accident, including rock-climbing and snorkelling.
"I used to lead a very active lifestyle... I didn’t know what I was anymore or how I was going to live," he said.
"I like exploring, adventuring and doing things for the first time."
Hegazy raised funds for the swim through local sponsors and audiences tracked his progress across the coral-rich gulf through a Twitter hashtag he created to raise awareness about people enduring mental and physical disabilities.
"I see life in near-death experiences and I want to (bring people along for the ride)," he said.
(Reporting by Sayed Sheasha; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Tom Finn and Ed Osmond)
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