J.R. Martinez and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, took home the mirror ball trophy on last night’s Dancing with the Stars finale! Martinez, a wounded Iraqi war vet turned soap star, won the public over with his personality, compelling story and incredibly coordinated moves. Coming in second was Kim Kardashian’s little brother, Rob, who improved immensely this season and earned perfect scores from the judges on Monday. Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough were a close third.

After a topsy-turvy season of sore ankles and even sorer losers, Dancing with the Stars ended Tuesday night by pitting an unlikely frontrunner against a heroic survivor.

After Ricki Lake, 43, was eliminated earlier in the show, Rob Kardashian, 24, the reality TV brother often overshadowed by his famous – and infamous – older sisters went against J.R. Martinez, 28, the soldier-turned-actor whose triumph over severe burns received in Iraq brought raw emotion to the ballroom.

For their final dance, a samba which both couples had to choreograph on the fly, each earned perfect scores, leaving Kardashian with a one point lead after two nights of competition. But the judges’ scores make up only half the final results. Once the viewers’ votes were tabulated, the winner was determined. Keep reading to find out who won:

It was J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff!

Smirnoff covered her face and began crying when she heard the news.

“First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who voted for us for 10 weeks,” Martinez said. “Thank you, America, for believing in us.”

Then he addressed his dance partner, telling Karina, “You are amazing, and I’m so grateful I was able to be a part of your first mirror-ball trophy.”

When he was awarded his mirror-ball trophy, Martinez hoisted it high above his head as confetti rained down.

Runner-up Rob Kardashian, who was paired with Cheryl Burke, echoed Martinez’s celebratory sentiments. “I’m super thankful,” he said, after the results were announced. “This is such a crazy experience. I’m definitely not sad. I won in my book.”

[From People]

I’m really happy for J.R. I’ve only seen a few episodes this season, but I found the guy so likable and he’s definitely the best dancer. It’s surprising because usually the best dancers are athletes who are necessarily more attuned to their bodies, but he’s a soldier, a motivational speaker and an actor. His website reveals that he nearly played professional football coming out of high school, but that he suffered an injury in his senior year and ended up enlisting in the army instead. Congratulations to J.R. and Karina!

Announcement of the winners

Recap of this week’s dances