When Jackson Collins was told by doctors his knee had failed him for the third time, he thought his dreams of sporting glory were over. The 19-year-old Sydney Swans rookie was so devastated he had to pull over on the drive home after a wave of emotion left him unable to focus on the road.

Fast-forward six years, and Collins is gearing up to compete for Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics in kayaking – a sport for which questionable patella tendon strength is less of a drawback.