"It's a miracle that I'm living": Victory dance for Aussie Paralympic superstar
Alexa Leary has emerged victorious at the Paralympic Games with a gold medal, three years after her life was changed from a horrific bike crash.
In July 2021, Alexa was on a bike ride training as a triathlete when her front wheel clipped a bike in front of her, sending her flying form her bike at 70 kilometres an hour.
Leary then underwent lifesaving surgery after the crash shattered her skull and left her unable to walk or talk, and spent 111 days in hospital.
Now, the 23-year-old from the Sunshine Coast broke her own 100m freestyle world record on Thursday morning, walking away with a gold medal.
"It's been a long, rough journey for me," Leary said at the Paris La Defense Arena.
"It's a miracle that I'm living, and I'm walking and I'm talking. I was told that I never would three years ago, and I've just come so far."
"I am so impressed with myself. I'm like, 'Lex, look how far you've actually come'.
"It's not sad to talk about, but it's an emotional thing. My family is the reason why I'm here, and they're up there [in the stands] looking at me. Honestly, it's amazing."
Alexa, who still struggles with memory problems and regulating her emotions, then shared how she kept at it in the pool as a recovery tool after her life-changing surgery, but found herself wanting to keep bettering her athletic ability.
"I'm a passionate person," Alexa said after winning solo Paralympic gold.
"When I want it, I'm going to go out and do it. I have to.
"So I wanted to keep swimming for recovery. But I was like, 'Nah, I'm more than that!'."
Alexa's parents, Belinda and Russ, watched their daughter's extraordinary win from the sidelines, reflecting on the haunting memories of Alexa's journey in hospital and how she came out the other side.
Russ said, "I reckon she wanted that [gold medal] in her belly for three years. She wanted it. She got it. Unbelievable."
Belinda added, "She's the same girl [post-accident], but everything's heightened, but all she ever wanted was to show people that anything is possible."
"And what she's been through over the last three years, her thing is with a TBI [traumatic brain injury] anything is possible."
Image credits: Nine News