Alexa Leary
| File:Alexa-Leary.png | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 18 August 2001 (age 24) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Paralympic swimming |
| Disability class | S9 |
| Club | Bond University |
| Coached by | Jon Bell |
Medal record | |
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Alexa Leary OAM (born 18 August 2001) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. She has won multiple gold medals at the World Para Swimming Championships.
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Alexa Leary was born on 18 August 2001. Her parents are Russ and Belinda Leary. She has two sisters, Madison and Ashtyn, and two brothers, Max and Jack.[1] She grew up on the Gold Coast and later Yamba and Noosa, where her triathlon coach was based.[2] She attended Good Shepherd Lutheran College.
On 17 July 2021, Leary suffered life-changing brain injuries as a result of a serious cycling accident in Pomona, Queensland.[3] Whilst riding her bike in training for triathlons, her front wheel clipped the bike ahead at 70 km/h. She landed on her head which resulted in major brain damage, blood clots and several broken bones.[4] She spent 111 days in hospital.[4][3] Whilst in hospital, a fund raising campaign called 'moveforlex' raised over $130,000 for enhanced care at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Neurosurgery Ward with a focus on equipment and family support.[4]
Triathlon career
[edit | edit source]Leary won the silver medal at in the Women's Under 18–19 at World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland before her training accident.[5]
Swimming career
[edit | edit source]Her triathlon training incorporated swimming. After her training accident, she was classified as an S9 swimmer. At the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships, Manchester, she won a gold medal in the Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 just outside the world record and a silver medal in the Women's 50 m Freestyle S9.[6]
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won gold medals in Women's 100 m freestyle S9 (world record) and Mixed 4 × 100 m medley 34 pts (Paralympic record). She won a silver in the Mixed 4 × 100 m freestyle 34 pts. She finished sixth in the Women's 50 m freestyle S9. After winning the individual gold medal, Leary said "“I’ve just come so far in life. Being told three years ago I wouldn't live ... but I am. I proved the world wrong.”[7]
At the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, she won two gold medals - Women’s 100m Freestyle S9 and Mixed 4 × 100 m Freestyle 34pts and the silver medal in Women’s 100m Freestyle S9.[8]
She is coached by Jon Bell, and used to train at St Hilda's privately with Jon on the Gold Coast, as she requires personal attentive coaching (regularly).
Recognition
[edit | edit source]- 2023 - Swimming Australia 2023 Awards - Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Discovery of the Year.[9]
- 2023 - Australian Institute of Sport Performance Awards - Emerging Athlete of the Year[10]
- 2024 - Queensland Sports Awards - Para-athlete of the Year[11]
- 2024 - Australian Paralympic Rookie of the Year[12]
- 2025 - Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024.[13]
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Alexa Leary at Swimming Australia
- Alexa Leary at Paralympics AustraliaLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Paralympic swimmers for Australia
- Swimmers at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic gold medalists for Australia
- Paralympic silver medalists for Australia
- Paralympic medalists in swimming
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Swimmers from the Gold Coast, Queensland
- Australian female freestyle swimmers
- Australian female triathletes
- S9-classified para swimmers
- Sportswomen from Queensland
- 21st-century Australian sportswomen
- Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia