A dream 17 years-in-the-making came true for a California boy when he got out of his wheelchair and walked to accept his high school diploma.

Patrick Ivison, a senior at Scripps High School in San Diego, was just 14-months-old when he was run over by a stranger's car, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Ivison's can-do attitude helped him learn to kayak, ski , hand-cycle marathon-length distances, play rugby and even surf.

Three years ago Ivison focused in on another goal, walking across the stage to accept his diploma at his high school graduation.

(WATCH the video below, or READ his story from ABC's Good Morning America) – Note: You can skip the ad in the video by clicking after a couple seconds.