An Australian athlete made the shocking decision to amputate part of his finger so that he could compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Matt Dawson, a 30-year-old field hockey player, suffered a brutal injury to the ring finger on his right hand after being struck with a hockey stick during practice with the Kookaburras two weeks ago, according to the BBC.
Doctors advised him recovery from finger surgery would take months and would force him to drop out of his third Olympics. But an amputation above the knuckle would allow him to return to the field in just 10 days.
Dawson said he made a decision that afternoon.
"It has obviously given the best chance and best opportunity to play here. If I didn't take this action, I wouldn't be here," Dawson told CNN of his amputation, which in turn has given him "the best outlook" on life.
"I'm very fortunate to still have as much finger as possible," he said.
"There was a rollercoaster of emotions in the last two weeks of not really knowing. Going into my third Olympic Games and then initially thinking that that was going to be taken away from me," admitted Dawson.
"But then it all came back pretty quickly. And now, I guess I'm in the best position to be here only 48 hours now out from our first game, which is really exciting."
Dawson's team captain Aran Zalewski said he was stunned by the defender's decision.
"We didn't really know what to think, and then we heard that he went to the hospital and chopped his finger off, which was pretty interesting because I know people would give an arm and a leg and even a little bit of finger to be here sometimes," Zalewski told reporters in Paris, according to the BBC. "When you've spent a lifetime of choice and sacrifice to come and compete at the highest level, I think for him it was an easy decision."
Kookaburras coach Colin Batch praised Dawson for the sacrifice.
"Full marks to Matt. Obviously he's really committed to playing in Paris. I'm not sure I would have done it, but he's done it, so great," Batch told Australia's 7 News.
The Kookaburras – who previously took home gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics – will face off against Argentina in Paris Saturday.
