- Matthew Dawson amputated his finger so he could go to the Olympics
- He made the decision thinking about the rest of his life, he says.
- Dawson, 30, has already represented Australia at two Olympic Games.
Olympian Matthew Dawson has revealed why he made the incredible decision to amputate part of his finger so he could compete in Paris this month.
Dawson, a veteran of the Australian men’s team, broke the ring finger on his right hand just weeks before competing in France.
Instead of resting in a cast, the two-time Olympian decided to permanently remove the affected portion of his finger.
He insists, however, that the call had in mind as much life after the Olympics as the Games themselves.
“I made an informed decision with the plastic surgeon at the time, not only for the opportunity to play in Paris, but also for life afterwards,” he told 7NEWS via The West.
“The best option for me was to remove the tip of my finger. It’s a change at the moment and an exciting challenge, I guess.
‘There are a lot of other issues and other people with other things going on in their lives that are more important than losing a finger, so I’m very lucky that it’s just a little piece of my finger.
‘It would have been a different and difficult conversation if it had been a little longer, I think.
Matthew Dawson has revealed why he decided to amputate part of his thinnest finger
She made the decision to compete for Australia in Paris this month.
‘I didn’t have much time to make the decision. I had already made the decision and then I called my wife and she said, ‘I don’t want you to make a hasty decision, but I had all the information I needed to make the decision, not for Paris, but for life after that.
‘Hopefully it won’t be long before I’m back in shape.’
Dawson is a battle-hardened man when it comes to serious injuries.
In 2018, the 30-year-old nearly lost an eye after being hit with a stick.
Australia coach Colin Batch praised Dawson for his desire and commitment to the cause.
“It was a very hard blow,” he said.
‘He went to the specialist and they could have put him in a cast, but almost the best way for him to recover was to just cut off the tip of his finger, so that’s what he decided to do.
‘He decided to do it and now he is back in training.
“He’s certainly set the bar high for anyone who breaks a finger in the future, but hats off to Matt – he’s made that decision and is obviously very committed to playing in Paris.”
