Aussie swimmer’s amazing comeback story after horror bike crash left her so badly hurt her parents were told to say their goodbyes

Swimmer Alexa Leary has opened up about her journey to the Paris Paralympics after her life took a drastic turn following a shocking bike accident left her with a brain injury.

In July 2021, a 70km/h accident while triathlon training left Leary requiring emergency surgery to stay alive.

Her parents Russ and Belinda were advised to prepare their goodbyes, and even when their daughter pulled through, they were told she was unlikely to walk or speak again.

Leary has since made an amazing comeback to sport, and says she is changing the relationship she has with herself.

A year ago, she admitted to a behaviour coach that she loved nothing about herself – but that’s all changed.

Leary was left fighting for life after a bike crash left her with serious brain damage 

‘I’m excited for Paris. I’m actually looking forward to it and I’m like, ‘Come on Lex, let’s do something good here. I’m going to do so well. I know I will’,’ the 22-year-old told Wide World of Sports.

‘Every day I write an affirmation on the mirror and I look at it and I believe it and I think it through the day … It’s like, ‘You love yourself, Lex. Look who you are. You’ve got to learn to love yourself’. 

‘So that’s a big thing for me.’

Leary, who represented Australia at the world titles in Switzerland where she finished second in 2019, says she still has her bad days and that will be the case for the rest of her life.

‘Some days are very hard for me because my brain’s just not normal,’ Alexa says.

‘It’s just not working as well as it used to work.

‘I do struggle sometimes, but it’s OK; I get through it.’

In 2023, Leary won a gold medal at the world championships in Manchester, blitzing the rest of the field in the women’s 100m freestyle S9 event.

Leary says some days are still very hard for her because of the brain injury

Leary won gold in the 100m at the at the world championships in Manchester in 2023

 ‘I am more than happy about it,’ a delighted Leary said after topping the podium at the time.

‘I’ve just come so far, it’s a big thing for me that I’ve pushed through.

‘The reason I’m here is because the people around me, they support me non-stop.

‘I’m actually very proud, I’m like, ‘Yeah, Lex, you’ve outdone yourself’.’