‘Proven performer’ and loveable character Alexa Leary could lead Paralympic gold rush in the swimming pool

Alexa Leary captured the hearts of Australia at the national trials in June, and head coach of the Paralympic swim team believes she could be part of something very exciting in Paris.

Alexa Leary has quickly become a star of Australian swimming and could be part of a gold rush to start the Paralympic Games.

On her Paralympic debut, the 23-year-old is expected to be right in the medal hunt in the 50m and 100m freestyle S9 races.

In 2021, the budding triathlon star suffered major brain damage after being involved in a cycling accident on the Sunshine Coast.

She spent more than 100 days in hospital and during her rehab – when she learned to walk and talk again – she turned to swimming as a way to continue her recovery.

By 2023, she had won gold in the 100m at the World Para Championships and silver in the 50m.

At the Paralympic trials this year, she smashed the Australian qualifying mark in the 50m and captured the hearts of Aussies with her bubbly personality in post-race interviews.

Alexa Leary celebrates winning the women’s Multi-Class 50m Freestyle Final at the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Australian para-swimming coach Greg Towle is excited to see one of his stars in the pool across 10 days of competition, which starts with the 50m on Thursday.

“Lex is a proven performer,” Towle said. “She loves racing. I think that’s the biggest thing with Lex.

“She is just a competitor at heart, she just really enjoys getting out there and racing, and leading from the front as well.

“She’s proud to be representing her country. When she gets interviewed, she’s really excited, she’s a real advocate for the Paralympic movement and sport.

“She’s a still role model out there for people what’s possible.”

While Leary will be one of the headline acts on night one, she will be surrounded by plenty of Aussie teammates seeking their own way to the podium.

The para-swimming team is determined to make a similarly strong start as its Olympic counterpart, which won two gold medals on night one.

“It’s a fantastic starting day for us,” Towle said.

“We’ve got the experience of Brenden Hall and Lakeisha Patterson and Tim Hodge getting off in the 400m freestyle S9 events.

Alexa Leary, world record holder and world champion S9 100m freestyle and Tim Hodge, world champion and a world record holder in S9 200m individual medley. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

“Ben Hance in the 100m fly. Then you have Rowan Crothers and Thomas Gallagher in the 50m freestyle as well as Lex.

“These guys are going to be very competitive in some strong events for us and hopefully we can get away to a strong start.”

Towle said there was plenty of excitement within the camp as athletes prepared to “write their own stories”.

“We’ve got a real depth of the experience level,’’ he said.

“It’s a really exciting team which complements each other not only with the experience they bring but the also the opportunity for the future which lays ahead.”

Heats will be held on Thursday night (AEST) before the finals are held in the early hours of Friday morning.