It’s Grand Final week, and we’re not just cheering for our favourite teams.

In early 2014, Newcastle Knights back-rower Alex McKinnon was critically injured in an NRL game against the Melbourne Storm. He suffered two fractured vertebrae after a tackle thew him head-first into the ground.

He was told he might never walk again.

But despite his ongoing struggles, McKinnon has refused to accept that he will forever be seated – and today, less than a year and a half after the shock diagnosis, the footballer walked a distance of 80 metres.

In an Instagram post, McKinnon celebrated being able to “lock out” his knees when walking in rehabilitation. With the help of trainers, who swung his legs, Alex was able to walk a distance of 80 metres.

You can watch his success here:

“Anybody that has had an injury be it big or small understands the frustration that comes with rehab and the feeling of it being out of your control,” McKinnon wrote.