A Finnish Olympic hockey player has been left paralyzed after a horrifying accident during a recent game.
On Friday, Sanna Hakala, 26, was left paralyzed from the chest down with limited movement in her arms and hands after a nasty accident saw her crash head-first into a goalpost during the first period in a Swedish Women’s Hockey League game against Djurgårdens.
The hockey player, who plays for the team HG71, was seen skating towards the goalpost when she fell and hit her head off the post and lay unconscious on the ice.
Members of her team, as well as the opposing team, rushed over to see if the athlete was okay before the game was postponed.
According to a team announcement, the 26-year-old forward was first taken to a nearby medical facility before she was transported to University Hospital in Linköping, where she underwent surgery.
The New York Post reported that Hakala later took to Instagram where she further discussed the difficulties of coming to terms with her new reality.
"It is still hard to understand what has happened, that the crash into the goalpost was as serious as it was, that the consequences have become so big," Hakala posted on the social media platform. "Not only that I am forced to stop playing hockey, something that has been a big part of my life for many years, but that I may be forced to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.
"The injury I sustained last Friday after colliding with the goalpost has left me paralyzed from the chest down, with reduced function in my arms and hands," she continued. "That’s the reality I’m trying to land in."
The hockey player then stated that she "[understands] that I am now facing a long and hard fight with my body and the toughest game of my life.
"Now I need to focus all my energy on the rehabilitation so that I can recover as well as possible," Hakala said before going on to add: "Therefore, me and HV71 will not leave further comments regarding my injury or situation and I ask you all to show consideration and respect for me and my family.
"This situation obviously sucks, but I’m not scared to take it on. I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I know it will be f****** awesome," Hakala concluded.
The 26-year-old first rose to fame through Finland hockey, making her international debut as part of the country’s under-18 team back in 2013. Since then, she's gone on to achieve massive accolades such as two bronze medals when she represented Finland at the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022.
Not only that, but Hakala also won a silver medal at the world championships in 2019 and bronze medals in 2017 and 2021 for her involvement in the game.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Hakala and her loved ones throughout this difficult period and we hope that her rehabilitation goes smoothly.