Chris Dodd, 25, ranks as the fourth-best male high jumper in the country.
The father-of-two was training for the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro when he and his wife, Kellie, took their two young daughters out for a ride in the family car.
When they returned to their home in Sydney, Australia, the parents took their children out of the vehicle.
However tragedy struck when the family car started rolling backwards on a collision course with four-year-old Ella.
Without stopping to think, her brave dad leapt behind it to push her out of the way as they were both run over, trapping him for 90 minutes.
Little Ella was thankfully discharged from hospital the next day with severe bruising.
However Chris Dodd was left with severe spinal and pelvis fractures, as well as damage to his bladder.
His Olympic dreams dashed, the athlete has been left unable to return to his previous job as a PE teacher - and does not have the insurance to cover his medical bills.
His wife set up a GoFundMe page, writing: “Chris was the bread winner for his wife and two young children and will be out of work until next year at this stage.
“This campaign has been set up in order to fund all of his medical expenses and rehabilitation needs.
“All funds will go direct to Chris himself into an account when needed.”
Chris has since left hospital following a series of operations, and is staying with his sister until his own home can be modified to accommodate the wheelchair and crutches he now needs to use in order to get about.
Kellie Dodd has said that his recovery process will be a slow one, and that he will need to have follow-up sessions with a number of rehabilitation specialists.
Admitting that both she and her husband dream he will be able to compete athletically again someday in the future, she made sure to thank everyone for their support so far.
“Everyone has been amazing to us,” she wrote emotionally.
“The community have blown us away.”