An Australian field hockey player had part of his finger amputated to participate in the Olympics

Yes, this is real.

No, I'm not exaggerating.

His name is Matthew Dawson. He's 30 years old and plays for the Australian men's field hockey team. While getting ready for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, he broke his finger badly, and when he had it fixed, he decided to do something drastic: he had the finger amputated from above the knuckle so he could play in the Games.

Here's more from Yahoo Sports: "Had he chosen to have the digit surgically repaired, a plastic surgeon told him he had months of recovery ahead and the finger may not ever regain full function."

So, you get it. Maybe you don't. But WOW.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: An Australian field hockey player had part of his finger amputated to participate in the Olympics