The former Orange City rugby player was just 29 years old when a freak accident during a game in Dubbo left him unable to walk and with minimal movement in his hands.

"What you get left with is a beast. The injury is a beast," he said.

"It's not rolling your car in a big smash, it's bumping your head. So for something that is relatively non-violent, what you get left without is horrendous."

While the city of Orange came to Mr Mileto's aid - building him a house and raising more than $300,000 for a car that he could drive - he knows just as well as anybody how difficult it was to forge ahead.

"Twenty-six years ago, these types of chairs weren't around, the car wasn't around and so many different things like Google Home weren't around," he said.

"When I first had my accident, there weren't wheelchairs that could do things like they can now. They were more archaic. Things got better though."

And it was through his own pain, that he set upon a journey to help others.

He became a consultant with Rugby Australia and through his Hearts in Rugby Union charity, began to assist others who had suffered spinal injuries.

But even after all of these years, Mr Mileto still feels pain and anguish when he hears of yet another player suffering a life-altering injury.

"It's heart-breaking because they've got no idea what they've got ahead of them and how many things they're about to find out they can't do," Mr Mileto said.

"But that's not the way to think, you have to focus on what you still can do. Families are a massive part of that. It's incredible what a good family can do for you and not everybody gets that supportive family. It helps you be productive in a positive sense for years after."

Injuries like the ones suffered by Orange Emu Andrew Reegan and Boorowa's Nathan Stapleton, break Mr Mileto's heart and he hopes that by speaking out, that he can instil even a little bit of confidence in them as they try to move forward in their lives.

"For Reegs, when he comes home, I hope the town gets behind him like they did with me because he has a wife and a little one," he added.

"Rugby is one of those sports that's like a family. It doesn't matter who you play for or what you do, everyone puts their arms around you."

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