Alex McKinnon

Alex McKinnon is one of Australia’s most inspiring stories of resilience in the face of hardship.

Growing up in Aberdeen, New South Wales, Alex moved away at the age of 14 to pursue his passions playing in the professional Rugby League. Not long after, Alex was selected in representative teams throughout New South Wales and Australia, leading to his selection as captain of the Australian Junior Kangaroos in 2012.

Unfortunately, Alex’s NRL career would be cut short in 2014. After 49 incredible NRL games, Alex would suffer a spinal cord injury from a lifting tackle when he was playing with the Newcastle Knights.

Alex would become a quadriplegic after a long stay in hospital and intensive care. Unable to walk or use his hands, Alex faced the most difficult challenges performing even the mundane daily activities. Despite this, Alex was determined to not let these setbacks hold him back from living his life, and is obsessed with getting out of his comfort zone every day.

Alex continues to work closely with the NRL as the recruitment co-ordinator for the Knights, but is also equally passionate about inspiring people as a keynote speaker.

Drawing upon years of life experience, Alex McKinnon has developed core philosophies and strategies to help any audience work on their leadership, motivation and resilience in everyday life.