Finnish women's hockey star paralyzed after colliding with goal

Last Friday, Sunny Hakala drove into the goal post during a match.

The 26-year-old athlete from Finland crashed into the goal post. After the blow, the girl remained conscious, but complained of severe pain. After a few minutes, her legs and arms became numb. On the ice, doctors were afraid to make a diagnosis and took Sunny to the nearest hospital, and then she was transported to the University Hospital in Linköping. There the athlete underwent surgery.

It is still difficult to understand what happened. The collision with the goal post was so serious that it caused such consequences. Not only am I forced to stop playing hockey, which has been a big part of my life for many years, but I may also be forced to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. The injury I sustained last Friday after colliding with a goal post has left me paralyzed from the chest down and reduced function in my arms,” Sunny Hakala wrote on her social media.

The Finnish woman joined the national team at the age of 18. Hakala won two bronze medals when she represented Finland at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022, the NewYork Post reported.