Aussie swimmer’s amazing comeback story after horror bike crash left her so badly injured her parents were told to say goodbye
- Leary was left with a life-threatening brain injury
- She now competes as a Paralympic athlete
- Looking forward to competing in Paris this year
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Swimmer Alexa Leary has opened up about her journey to the Paris Paralympics after her life took a drastic turn after a shocking cycling accident left her with a brain injury.
In July 2021, a 70 km/h accident occurred during triathlon training that Leary required emergency surgery to stay alive.
Her parents Russ and Belinda were advised to prepare their goodbyes and even when their daughter pulled through, they were told she was unlikely to walk or talk again.
Leary has since made an amazing comeback to the sport and says she is changing the way she feels about herself.
A year ago, she admitted to a behavior coach that she didn’t love anything about herself – but that has changed.
Swimmer Alexa Leary says she is changing her relationship with herself to Paris
Leary was left fighting for her life after a cycling accident left her with severe brain damage
‘I’m excited for Paris. I’m actually looking forward to it and I’m like, ‘Come on Lex, let’s do something good here. I’m going to do so well. I know I want to,’ said the 22-year-old Wide world of sports.
“Every day I write an affirmation on the mirror and I look at it and I believe it and I think about it all day long … It’s like, ‘You love yourself, Lex. See who you are. You must learn to love yourself’.
“So it’s a big thing for me.”
Leary, who represented Australia at the World Championships in Switzerland where she finished second in 2019, says she still has her bad days and will for the rest of her life.
“Some days are very hard for me because my brain is just not normal,” says Alexa.
‘It just doesn’t work as well as it used to.
‘I struggle sometimes, but that’s okay; I’ll get through it.’
In 2023, Leary won a gold medal at the World Championships in Manchester, outshining the rest of the field in the women’s 100 m freestyle S9 event.
Leary says some days are still very hard for her because of the brain injury
Leary won gold in the 100m at the 2023 World Championships in Manchester
“I’m more than happy about it,” said a delighted Leary after topping the podium at the time.
‘I’ve just come this far, it’s a big thing for me that I’ve pushed through.
‘The reason I’m here is because the people around me, they support me non-stop.
‘I’m actually very proud, I’m like, ‘Yeah, Lex, you’ve outdone yourself’.’