An Australian field hockey player decided to chop off his finger to compete in the Olympics. Yep, you heard that right. When Matt Dawson broke his finger, weeks before Paris, he had a daunting choice ahead of him. Either he could get surgery and rule himself out of the Olympics or he could amputate his finger from the knuckle up to compete. Guess which one he picked. Safe to say his teammates were terrified. However, Dawson seemed quite content with the decision. The 30 year old will be looking to clinch the gold for the Aussies after they fell short in Tokyo.
Dawson’s Dream Looked Done and Dusted
The Australian athlete broke his finger badly during team training in Perth just a fortnight before the Olympics. Apparently, the break was so bad that he passed out in the dressing room after looking at his finger. Dawson thought his Olympic dream was done and dusted. After consulting an army of doctors and plastic surgeons, the choice was clear. Surgery would have most certainly destroyed his dream and even then, the finger wouldn’t have regained full function. Dawson knew what he had to do. He made the decision the same afternoon and thus, sealed a spot for himself on the Australian Olympic team.
A Finger For A Medal
Dawson is back in training and will be a part of the Kookaburras side to face Argentina on Saturday. The Australian is no stranger to injuries. Six years ago at the Commonwealth Games, a Hockey stick hit the star in the face, coming close to causing him to lose an eye. When asked about Dawson’s situation Team Captain Aran Zalewski said “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.” The Field Hockey star has made an immense sacrifice to represent his nation at the Olympics. This sacrifice is a clear reflection of Dawson’s dedication to serving his country. To Matt Dawson, this would be a fair bargain. Though he loses a finger, he stands a chance to win a gold medal for his country.
