Former NRL star Alex McKinnon has opened up about his split from wife Teigan Power, how he is the happiest he has been in 10 years and how he would one day like to have more children.
Alex and his ex-wife Teigan’s love story captured the hearts of Australians when she pledged to support the NRL star after he broke his spine in a three-man tackle on March 24, 2014.
The 32-year-old underwent operations to fuse his C4 and C5 vertebrae and spent five days in a coma before becoming wheelchair-bound at age 22.
The day after he woke up, doctors gave him the terrible news that he would probably remain a quadriplegic and would never walk again.
His girlfriend, who was only 20 at the time, promised to support him during his recovery.
Former NRL star Alex McKinnon (pictured with new girlfriend Lily Malone) says he is happier now than he has been in ten years.
McKinnon (pictured with ex-wife Teigan Power) says he is still good friends with his ex-wife
They had their first daughter, Harriet Ann, through IVF in 2018, followed by twins Audrey and Violet in 2021.
The couple separated in 2022 after their marriage broke down, in what McKinnon describes as two people changing over time.
“Teigan was by my side during a really difficult period of my life,” McKinnon said. news corporation.
‘I am very lucky that she has given me three beautiful girls, which has given me great purpose.
‘Those three girls make me want to be a good person and continue to be the best I can for them and as present as possible in their lives and I love that.
‘We are still very good friends.
“But as time goes on, it’s been 10 years since I was injured, people evolve, people change, her and I, we all evolve.”
“We probably got to a stage where we were just friends for a long period of our relationship and it got to the point where we needed to end that and stay friends, and that’s what we’ve done.
The former soccer star says he is very lucky to have three beautiful daughters
McKinnon says he loves family and would be interested in having more children
“It’s the best for us and the best for our children.”
Since separating from his ex-wife, McKinnon has enrolled in college and says he is now the happiest he has been in 10 years.
He has also started a new relationship with a glamorous social worker ten years his junior, Lily Malone.
“At first, after the separation, I focused a lot on my kids and making sure I was present and there for them,” she said.
‘Being separated allowed me to make some changes in my life and at that point I went to university.
‘Going to university, literally a month after we broke up, probably came at the best time of my life.
‘It took me out of my comfort zone, I met different people, there are so many lovely people I met at university over the last two and a half years I was there.
“I guess now, as far as relationships and meeting different people go, I’ve met a lot of different people over the last two and a half years since I broke up, and that’s allowed me to find my self-confidence and identity again.” . I ‘ve been very lucky.
McKinnon even expressed interest in having more children in the future.
“When you go through an important time in your life and there are a lot of changes in your environment, you recognize that family is all you have,” McKinnon said.
“Going through a divorce, losing that extended family element, and being single for an extended period of time over the last two and a half years, made me realize how much I love family and being around people that you love and care about.
“The three girls have brought the most joy to my life, so I don’t see why having more wouldn’t be even better.”