Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary brought to tears by special video message

Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary brought to tears by special video message Alexa Leary brought to tears by message from doctor Doctor saved Leary's life after catastrophic crash Swim star won two gold medals at the Paralympics By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia Published: 08:12 BST, 9 September 2024 | Updated: 08:12 BST, 9 September 2024 e-mail View comments Australian Paralympic dual-gold medallist Alexa Leary had to fight back tears after being delivered a special video message from the doctor who performed lifesaving surgery on her. Leary, 23, just completed a stunning campaign at the Paris Games, claiming gold in the 100m freestyle last week after single-handedly carrying the Aussie relay team to first-place two days earlier. The achievement marked another incredible milestone in the increasingly rich chapter of what she terms her 'second life'.

Leary, once a star triathlete, fell off her bike in a near-fatal accident in 2021, leaving her with brain damage and several long-term injuries. More than once, doctors informed her parents, Russ and Belinda, they should prepare to say goodbye to their daughter. Despite doctors' grim prognosis, Alexa began to breathe independently after the ventilator was removed.



Her parents remained steadfast by her side during her 111-day hospital stay as she learned to walk again and adjust to permanent brain damage. Alexa's future in cycling was uncertain, so she redirected her athletic talents to swimming, a sport she knew from triathlon training. Leary's first individual Paralympic medal (pictured) came after she had single-handedly carried Australia's 100m relay team to a first-place finish two days earlier Leary had to learn how to walk again after her horrific bike accident in 2021 that almost claimed her life Three years after the crash, she defied the odds once more, securing a gold medal.

'It feels amazing,' Alexa told Nine's A Current Affair from Paris. 'I am so proud of myself but I am so thankful for my family and honestly my mum and dad, that got me here. 'We got the medals together really.

' Leary broke down in tears during the segment when Aussie neurosurgeon Dr Norman Ma appeared with a specially recorded message for her. Ma was the doctor who performed lifesaving surgery on Leary when she was brought in from the accident. 'Oh wow, oh my goodness, this is making me cry,' Alexa said.

It has been an incredible journey for Alexa who used swimming as a way to recover from the accident 'I just can't even say anything. Wow .' Leary's dad Russell said Ma was 'incredible'.

'He said "if we don't take her skull off, she will die",' Russell said. 'He was just incredible and the way that whole staff looked after us for three months, four months, we became family to them. RBWH, they're legends.

' Russell also became emotional during the segment while talking about the journey the family had been on since the accident. 'Just so inspirational,' he said with tears in his eyes. 'So proud.

It's just an incredible job she's done over three years to endure what she's endured, you know she's just a miracle.' Share or comment on this article: Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary brought to tears by special video message e-mail Add comment.