Every day Elliot goes to his gym, he sees a man in a wheelchair working out.

The man is non-verbal, and his carer is always by his side. His right leg is amputated from the knee while his left leg – from the shin down – is prosthetic. He has very limited movement in his arms, but he still finds a way to move his body.

One day the young Aussie man plucked up the courage to go and talk to him, telling his carer, ‘He’s my inspiration and motivation’ at the gym.

The carer then shared the devastating story of how the man ended up in a wheelchair – a story that still brings Elliot to tears whenever he reflects on it.

‘She said, “He was in a car accident with his wife and his six-month-old baby. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit their car going 140km/h,’ Elliot told content creator Blair Rubock, who’s behind the social media project Through Strangers Eyes.

‘The little baby died on impact and his wife died later in hospital. He managed to survive – but lost both his legs and his spinal cord was severed.

‘In three seconds his whole life changed. And yet every single day he goes to the gym. Every single day.’

Elliot confessed, ‘I cry about this a lot.’

Sitting on a park bench with a camera, Blair invites strangers to open up about their deep stories – a reminder that you never truly know what someone is going through.

Elliot began his story by describing how he first noticed the man in the wheelchair at his gym.

‘Every time I come to the gym and I see him there, it’s like my natural pre-workout,’ Elliot told Blair in the video.

‘Sometimes I feel like quitting. Sometimes you’re like, “I’m a bit over it now”, even though the workout’s not done. Then I see him and I’m like, “Nah, I’ve got plenty more left in the tank.

‘One day I couldn’t help it, I had to go up to his carer.’

The carer then told Elliot that she goes to the dad’s home every day, dresses him, picks him up and the one place he always requests is a trip to the gym.

‘I remember saying to her, “I don’t know how he does it”,’ Elliot recalled.

‘She said to me, “What other choice has he got? You can either give up or you keep going.”

Elliot agreed, saying: ‘When you put it like that, you don’t have another choice because giving up is not an option.’

Blair later told viewers that Elliot still speaks to the man and ‘smiles at him every time he sees him at the gym… They have an unspoken friendship.’

Weighing in on Elliot’s emotional story, Blair said: ‘One of the most incredible stories I’ve heard to date. If you can do anything today, give this a listen.

‘Heartbreak to the strength to still live after a tragic accident took everything away in three seconds.’

His video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times, with Blair sharing: ‘Thanks for all the support on this video. Keep sharing it around. There are so many people that need to hear this story and realise how fickle and important life is, don’t waste a day.’

Many were moved by the story, with one saying: ‘That guy may look like the weakest in the entire gym but he’s actually the strongest because he’s carrying something heavier than anyone else.’

‘I’m crying,’ another confessed.

‘My heart – what an absolute superhuman, I cannot even imagine the power it would take to continue to live through this,’ one revealed.

‘Bawling my eyes at work and I work in a gym. I have people with disabilities come in all the time and and it breaks my heart knowing they can’t live a normal life like us all. They are also my motivation,’ another shared.

‘This made me cry – what an amazing man,’ one said.

‘And here I am stressing over nothing… Wow,’ another admitted.

‘Life can change so quickly. We really need to make the most of every day,’ one added.

The story has struck a chord with thousands, with one person sharing: ‘I’m an amputee and was tossing up going to the gym. I’m going now.’