BOB体育

Team USA taekwondo athlete Faith Dillon had 鈥淒um spiro spero鈥� tattooed on her forearm well before fracturing her hand in a tournament at the Fujairah Open just outside of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

That day, guided by her ink 鈥� Latin for 鈥淲hile I breathe, I hope鈥� 鈥� Faith remained optimistic in the face of significant injury.

鈥溾�楧um spiro spero鈥� is my family鈥檚 motto. I think it鈥檚 good for the sport because there are moments when you鈥檙e down despite the hard work, and it鈥檚 heavy on your heart,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I kept hoping, and now I鈥檓 going to Paris this summer because I didn鈥檛 give up.鈥�

Neither did BOB体育鈥檚 Harvey Chim, MD, FACS, a hand, plastic, and reconstructive surgeon who helped the 22-year-old persevere through an innovative surgery and make a rapid recovery.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to seeing her compete on the world stage and hope I鈥檝e contributed to her success as an Olympian, maybe even winning a medal for Team USA,鈥� Chim said.

From childhood dreams to the global arena

Faith was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, but spent her formative years in Las Vegas, where she enjoyed an active childhood swimming and playing soccer and basketball. Her interest in taekwondo began at age 5 with a simple childhood inspiration: a Jackie Chan cartoon.

鈥淚 was watching the show and told my dad I wanted to be like Jackie Chan,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e took that literally, put me in a class, and I haven鈥檛 stopped since.鈥�

Around age 12, she entered the cadet category designated for athletes between 12 and 14 years old. Paired against older cadets, she lost every match that year.

鈥淏ut I鈥檓 glad I did,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause the year after, when I was fighting people who were older, I was able to keep up by really using my brain in the ring.鈥�

That鈥檚 when Faith says she developed a genuine love for the sport, which unfolds as a test of adaptability under pressure.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not so much of a fight for me as it is problem-solving in the moment,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love it when things just click.鈥�

Faith鈥檚 preparation is meticulous, grounded in her years of training.

鈥淚鈥檓 a very technical fighter, so I鈥檓 repping in the gym over and over until it鈥檚 just muscle memory,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n the ring, when I鈥檓 so tired that I can鈥檛 think and I can鈥檛 lift my legs, I have 18 years of training to keep me steady.鈥�

Faith said she realized her potential for international competition in taekwondo a little later than most. Last year, she earned medals at several Grand Prix competitions, which positioned her for a chance on the world stage.

Qualifying for Team USA in the 57 kg weight class this summer was a monthslong process. It included the 2024 U.S. National Taekwondo Team Trials in January, where she faced one of her teammates 鈥� 18-year-old Kristina Teachout. Today, Faith trains in tandem with Teachout, who qualified to compete this summer in the 67 kg weight class.

鈥淔aith and I complement each other very well with our fighting styles; she鈥檚 very technical and precise with her kicks, while I'm more aggressive,鈥� Teachout said. 鈥淚 want her to succeed, she wants me to succeed, and we鈥檙e professional enough to bring it for each other and fight each other. It鈥檚 really good, positive energy.鈥�

Strength in struggle

Positivity is crucial in the demanding sport of taekwondo 鈥� a truth Faith was forced to reckon with after an axe kick to her hand during the Fujairah Open in January 2024, not long before she would compete to qualify for Paris.

鈥淭he golden rule is unless it鈥檚 really bad, don鈥檛 take off the glove. We鈥檒l address it after the fight,鈥� said Stephen Lambdin, 2024 Team USA coach and director of athletic development at USA Taekwondo. 鈥淚t was a tough match, so we decided to push through the fight. It鈥檚 a testament to how good Faith is that she actually did (qualify).鈥�

An X-ray revealed that Faith had a fracture in the metacarpal bone of her ring finger, and she was referred to Dr. Chim at BOB体育. As part of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, BOB体育 provides athletes nationwide with the latest and best medical care, while fostering research and collaboration with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and other health care providers.

Dr. Chim 鈥� who in 2018 received the Gelberman Scholar Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) 鈥� suggested a relatively new surgical technique that offered a faster return to taekwondo by enabling early finger movement and hand use.

In traditional open reduction internal fixation, or ORIF, plates and screws are positioned outside the bone, requiring a large incision and sometimes uncomfortable, protruding wires. However, Dr. Chim chose a modern alternative: inserting a nail directly into the bone, called an intramedullary nail, through a small opening in the knuckle. This method keeps all components internal, resulting in a smaller incision and faster recovery.

鈥淓arly range of motion is very important for optimizing outcomes with hand and metacarpal fractures,鈥� Dr. Chim said. 鈥淭his really helped in Faith鈥檚 case. The advantage of having the nail (in the bone) was that she could start moving her fingers immediately. After we were happy with the placement of the nail, I closed the incision over the knuckle with essentially just one stitch.鈥�

From a biomechanical standpoint, the decision to use a nail inside the bone instead of plates and screws on the outside was aimed at providing greater strength. Ideally, this approach will offer enhanced protection against future hand injuries, making the bone stronger and more resilient.

鈥淔aith鈥檚 case exemplifies how we utilize new technologies to address relatively straightforward issues, such as her hand fracture, in a novel and effective manner that accelerates a return to activities,鈥� Dr. Chim said.

A swift recovery and bright future

Faith鈥檚 recovery was supported by a dedicated team both inside and outside hospital doors. Dr. Chim provided thorough follow-up appointments, ensuring Faith was well-informed and prepared for each stage of her recovery.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to know that BOB体育 is behind all the Team USA athletes,鈥� Faith said.

About three to four weeks after her surgery, Faith was back in training at the United States Performance Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, using her hand and with renewed joy for the sport.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a journey to learn how to deal with setbacks in the sport, especially my injury,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 like to think of it as taking steps in a different direction rather than steps back. Otherwise, you get into a negative mindset that鈥檚 detrimental to your performance.鈥�

Today, Faith is left with nothing but a tiny scar 鈥� and a lot of hope for Paris 2024. Her advice for patients facing a difficult diagnosis or health challenge?

鈥淪tay in the present,鈥� Faith said. 鈥淵ou can only handle what you鈥檙e doing right now. You can鈥檛 change what happened, and dwelling on things you can鈥檛 control is too much for one person to do. Stay in the present, and don't stress.鈥�

As for the future, coach Lambdin, an Olympian who represented Team USA in 2016, says that all four Paris taekwondo standouts representing the U.S. (C.J. Nickolas, Jonathan Healy, Faith Dillon, and Kristina Teachout) represent the strongest he's ever coached for an event like this 鈥� and that Faith is a huge asset in that regard.

鈥淭he thing I love the most about coaching Faith is her sheer athletic potential,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 definitely one of our best athletes. The more I got to know her, the more I realized she has a very similar temperament to mine. I get a lot of joy out of coaching her because I can communicate with her in a way that is very near and dear to my heart.鈥�