| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 August 2001 (age 23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Paralympic swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | S9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Used to be St Hilda's, Gold Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jon Bell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Alexa Leary (born 18 August 2001) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She won a gold medal and silver medal at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.
Leary was born on 18 August 2001. Her parents are Russ and Belinda Leary. She has two sisters, Madison and Ashtyn, and two brothers, Max and Jack. [1] She grew up on the Gold Coast and later Yamba and Noosa, where her triathlon coach was based. [2] She attended Good Shepherd Lutheran College. [3]
On 17 July 2021, Leary suffered life-changing brain injuries as a result of a serious cycling accident in Pomona, Queensland. [4] Whilst riding her bike in training for triathlons, her front wheel clipped the bike ahead at 70 km/h. She landed on her head which resulted in major brain damage, blood clots and several broken bones. [3] She spent 111 days in hospital. [3] [4] Whilst in hospital, a fund raising campaign called 'moveforlex' raised over $130,000 for enhanced care at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Neurosurgery Ward with a focus on equipment and family support. [3]
Leary won the silver medal at in the Women's Under 18–19 at World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland before her training accident. [5]
Her triathlon training incorporated swimming. After her training accident, she was classified as an S9 swimmer. At the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships, Manchester, she won a gold medal in the Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 just outside the world record and a silver medal in the Women's 50 m Freestyle S9. [6]
She is coached by Jon Bell, and used to train at St Hilda's privately with Jon on the Gold Coast, as she requires personal attentive coaching (regularly). She was selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, [7] where she won two gold medals, individually in the S9 100m freestyle, and as part of the 4x100m mixed medley relay (34 points) team.
Jessica Tuomela is a Canadian paralympic competitive swimmer and para triathlete who was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She won silver in the 50-metre freestyle at the 2000 Summer Paralympics and bronze in the Women's PTVI Paratriathlon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Ellie Victoria Cole, is an Australian retired Paralympic swimmer and wheelchair basketball player. After having her leg amputated due to cancer, she trained in swimming as part of her rehabilitation program and progressed more rapidly than instructors had predicted. She began competitive swimming in 2003 and first competed internationally at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships, where she won a silver medal. Since then, she has won medals in the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the Paralympic Games, the IPC Swimming World Championships, and various national championships.
Miriam Sheppard is a New Zealand former para athlete and para swimmer. She was the 2009 ITU Paratriathlon World Champion in TRI3 classification. In addition, she represented New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Paralympic Games. in Athens, Greece, in swimming, as well as at the 2005 CPISRA World Games – in both swimming and track & field. Jenkins is affected by mild cerebral palsy in her left side.
Brenden Hall, is an Australian Paralympic swimmer who won two gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal. He was selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, his fifth games, where he won a bronze medal.
Annabelle Williams, is a Paralympic swimming competitor from Australia. She has a congenital limb deficiency. She appeared in Mad Max 4. Representing Australia, she has won a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympic Games in the 4 × 100 m medley relay, a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in the Women's 100 m Butterfly S9. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, she earned a silver medal in the Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 and a bronze in the Women's 100 m Multi Disability Freestyle. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she earned a silver in the Women's 50 m Freestyle S9 event.
Rowan Crothers is an Australian freestyle swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He won two gold and one silver medals at the Tokyo Paralympics. He has a been selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France.
Emily Beecroft is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics,2020 Tokyo Paralympics and has been selected for 2024 Summer Paralympics. She won a silver and bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Lakeisha Dawn Patterson, is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She won medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, she won Australia's first gold medal of the Games in a world record time swim in the Women's 400m freestyle S8. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she won the gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S9. Patterson has a been selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France
Ashleigh Kate McConnell, is a limb deficient Paralympic swimmer of Australia. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where she won gold medals in freestyle relay events.
Timothy Malcolm Disken, is an Australian paralympic swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships and won bronze in the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won a gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle S9, a silver medal in the men's S9 50m freestyle and a bronze medal in the men's 200m individual medley SM9. He also competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Tully Alicia Jacqueline Kearney is a British Paralympic swimmer. Kearney competes in the S5/SB3 classification for swimmers with physical disabilities. She won Gold and Silver at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games setting World records in both the 50 m and 100 m freestyle. She has also won medals in four IPC Swimming World Championships winning Bronze in the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships, setting a British record; four Golds, a Silver and a Bronze in the 2015 World Championships setting three European records and becoming GB's highest medal earner of the Championships, and three Golds at the World Para Swimming Championships in 2019, setting three British records and two Championship records, repeating this in the 2022 World Championships in Madeira where she broke three World Records. Kearney also won Gold and Bronze at the World Para Swimming European Championships in 2018. Kearney is a multiple British, European and World record holder.
Timothy Hodge is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2016 and the 2020 Summer Paralympics, where he won two silver and one bronze medals. He has a been selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France.
Paige Leonhardt is an Australian swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where she won a silver medal. She has been selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Katja Dedekind is an Australian Paralympic vision-impaired swimmer and goalball player. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and two bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
McKenzie Coan is an American swimmer. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, she swam the 400m Freestyle in the S8 category. Coan was one of four S8 category swimmers chosen to compete for Team USA at the games. She later had her breakout games in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where she would go on to win 3 gold medals in the category S7 50, 100, and 400M Freestyle races, with an additional silver medal in the 34-point women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle relay. In the process of getting her gold medal in the 50M Freestyle she also set a new Paralympic Record.
Lauren Parker is an Australian para-triathlete and para-cyclist. She won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and gold medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Jasmine Greenwood is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she won a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly S10. She has a been selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France.
Toni Stephanie Shaw is a British Paralympic swimmer. In 2019 she set the world record time for the S9 200m butterfly, and was also part of the team that set a new world record for the 4 × 100 m medley relay. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she won a bronze medal in the women's 400 metre freestyle S9 event and later went on to win gold at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships, becoming the World Champion. She is a three-time World Champion and two-time European Champion.
Madeleine "Maddie" McTernan is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2020 Summer Paralympics where she won a silver medal.
Benjamin "Ben" Hance is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, he won a gold and bronze medal. He has a been selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France.
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