‘Everyone is in disbelief’: Leary spearheads Australia to relay gold after stunning final leg

Paris: Australian Paralympian and bike crash survivor Alexa Leary has spearheaded her country to a stunning relay gold medal in the pool on Monday evening thanks to an anchor leg that will live long in the memory.

Just over three years since doctors told Leary’s family she would not live after a horror accident while completing triathlon training, the Queenslander pulled off an epic final two laps of the mixed 4x100-metre medley relay (34 points) to seal her first Paralympic gold medal.

Australia’s Alexa Leary, right, powers past Netherlands swimmer Thijs van Hofweegen.Credit: Getty Images

Teams for this relay feature two males and two females with varying degrees of disabilities.

After solid legs from Jessie Aungles, Timothy Hodge and Emily Beecroft, Leary dived into the pool at the La Defense Arena in Paris with Australia in fourth position. She was 6.28 seconds and 15 metres behind male Netherlands swimmer Thijs van Hofweegen, who has a physical impairment.

What ensued was 100 metres of the most exhilarating freestyle you will ever see as Leary, who has an intellectual impairment, mowed down van Hofweegen in the last lap to touch the wall first.

Leary looked as shocked as anyone given the ground she had to make up and celebrated wildly when teammates told her she had pulled off mission impossible. It brought back memories of Ian Thorpe coming over the top of American villain Gary Hall Jnr in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay on day one of the Sydney Olympics.

“I was like, ‘I’m just going to have to do it myself.’ We need to take the gold,” Leary said afterwards.

“I knew I had to catch [van Hofweegen], I’m going to have to overtake him. I could see him and I was like, ‘I just have to take this win.’ I just had to. I caught him. I just had to. We have the best team ever.”

Hodge, who picked up his maiden Paralympic gold medal, added: “It’s an insane feeling. We’re still coming to terms with it. Just absolutely insane. It’s an honour to be part of the team.”

The win caps one of the most heartwarming stories of the Paralympics about a young woman who wasn’t expected to live.

Leary looked as shocked as anyone given the ground she had to make up.Credit: Getty Images

Leary’s parents Russ and Belinda were in the stands cheering on their daughter and overcome with emotion given what they have been through. In July 2021, they were given the news every parent dreads.

On eight separate occasions, Leary’s parents said goodbye to their daughter in hospital after a shocking crash – she came off the bike at 70km/h – that left her fighting for life.

Leary’s ribs, skull and scapula were all broken. She also had a punctured lung and shattered leg. Russ didn’t recognise his daughter when he pulled up behind the crash, so bad was her condition.

A fellow cyclist rode up the hill to get phone reception and call triple zero. A doctor happened to be on the scene and moved Leary into a position so she could breathe. It saved her life.

She underwent life-saving surgery that night and lived to tell the tale, only after 111 days in hospital with her parents by her side.

“Alexa Leary, take a bow,” said Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell in commentary for Channel Nine.

“Simply sensational. Unbelievable. Everyone is in disbelief. We thought the Netherlands was untouchable, but we knew we had a secret weapon in our arsenal and her name is Alexa Leary.”

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