- Alex McKinnon broke his spine 10 years ago while playing for the Knights
- The former NRL star has now opened up on one of his greatest achievements
Ten years on from suffering a career-ending spinal injury, former NRL star Alex McKinnon has opened up on one of the ‘best decisions’ he has ever made.
Over the past three years, the 32-year-old has been studying at Newcastle University and this summer will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in psychological science.
It comes a decade after the former footy star was told the shattering news that he’d likely never walk again by doctors, after he broke his spine, aged 22, in a three-man tackle while playing for the Knights in March, 2014.
McKinnon stated that he initially enrolled in the qualification after realising that he needed ‘to start all over again’.
‘Going to university has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life,’ McKinnon told The Daily Telegraph.
He added: ‘One of the biggest frustrations when I got injured was that I had spent my whole life, 22 years, trying fine fine-tune myself as an athlete to compete.
Former NRL star Alex McKinnon has opened up on one of the the greatest achievement’s of his life (pictured with partner Lily)
McKinnon, a former Knights star, is set to graduate from Newcastle University with a bachelor’s degree in psychological science
‘And when all that gets taken away from you, it’s soul destroying. Not only do you lose your identity, but all that hard work that you put in is now worth nothing.
‘Sure, I learned lessons along the way, but all those tools I did learn, I can’t use them anymore. So basically, you have to start again.’
After his rugby career was tragically cut short McKinnon stated he had searched over the past 10 years to find something that ‘stimulated my want to learn more’.
‘I doubted my ability to succeed academically. I thought I had no chance. But once I found something I cared about, everything changed.
‘Now I’ve done it, it actually doesn’t feel real.’
His passion for psychology stemmed from having previously worked as part of the Knight’s recruitment team.
While identifying future talents and working with players to develop their game, his interest in the discipline had been ignited.
Following his work with the Knights, McKinnon believes the players who excelled in the sport were those that had a mindset to: ‘Overcome adversity, stay disciplined and remain focused. Those often contributed to their success.’
He claimed he wanted to qualify as a registered psychologist in the future and says his interest in the discipline had been sparked by his work with the Knight’s recruitment team in 2019
As for the future, McKinnon wants to qualify as a registered psychologist and has received an offer to extend his studies to complete an honours degree in the future.
The former footy star revealed earlier this year that he is the happiest he’s been in 10 years, having also found a new partner following his separation from his ex-wife Teigan Power in 2022 after five years of marriage.
McKinnon is set to attend his graduation ceremony on Thursday and will be surrounded by his parents, daughter and his partner Lily.
The pair met at University last year, with Lily studying for a degree in social work. She also works as an analyst for Fox Sports.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .