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Alexa Leary (born 18 August 2001) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She won a gold medal and silver medal at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics..
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| Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 August 2001 (age 23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Paralympic swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | S9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Used to be St Hilda's, Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jon Bell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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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]
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]
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 x 100 m medley 34 pts (Paralympic record). She won a silver in the Mixed 4 x 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]
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).
- 2023 - Swimming Australia 2023 Awards - Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Discovery of the Year. [8]
- 2023 - Australian Institute of Sport Performance Awards - Emerging Athlete of the Year[9]
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