Alex McKinnon celebrates incredible new milestone
Former NRL player Alex McKinnon has shared an inspirational video on social media as he celebrates an incredible milestone of getting his driver's licence.
McKinnon, 25, who suffered a serious spinal injury during a match in 2014 and was left a quadriplegic, shared the video on Instagram, showing him sitting in a modified car smiling.
In a touching post to accompany the video, the former Newcastle Knight thanked other disabled people for inspiring him along the way.
“Every day I have an email or a connection with somebody who has not given up, actively making the most of their life and not playing the why me card when they have every reason too (sic),” he writes. “To know that they continually overcome adversity with much greater limitations then my own reminds me ‘it’s not the cards your dealt, it’s how you play them that matters’.”
His proud wife Teigan, who has been by Alex’s side every step of the way and is his full-time carer, also posted a photo on her own Instagram page.
She jokingly captioned her image “bring on having a designated driver again” before adding “to say I am proud of all the effort and determination you have put in is an understatement.”
Alex says he was inspired to learn how to drive again by the amazing people he has met since his accident.
“It honestly was motivated by every disabled individual that comes across my path daily. You never know the role you play in someone’s life until you’re told, and I promise you everybody is playing an irreplaceable role in someone’s life,” he wrote on Instagram.
"Remind them that. I am extremely grateful for the roles that you all play in mine, never forget that. It’s not about the achievement or the outcome it’s about helping others along the way”
Since his tragic accident, Alex has accomplished his own incredible achievements. After being told he would never walk again he managed to stand at the altar when he and Teigan tied the knot in October, declaring on Instagram that “dreams do come true”.