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Disclaimer: Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The Swim of the Week is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.
Australian Alexa Leary continued to write her inspirational story after winning her first individual Paralympic gold medal on Wednesday, breaking the world record yet again in the women’s 100 freestyle S9.
Leary, 23, put up a time of 59.53 in the final, lowering the world record of 59.60 she set in the prelims. Back in April, she established what was the previous world record of 59.64.
The performance from Leary comes just three years after she suffered a near-fatal biking accident while training as a competitive triathlete.
The accident left her with brain damage and several long-term injuries including blood clots and broken bones. Doctors told her parents they should prepare to say goodbye to their daughter.
Leary recounted her father, Russell, hiring a fortune teller to see if she would survive.
“When I was in ICU and dad got a fortune teller and the fortune teller read that I want to go to the Paralympics and I’m here… I’m like ‘Whoah, I did it!’,” she said, according to Paralympic Australia.
“I’ve come so far in life, from being told three years ago I wouldn’t live. But I am. So, once I again, I did prove the world wrong. I’m walking and talking when we were told that I would never.
“I’m just like ‘Well done, Lex, you have come so very far’.”
In the 100 free, Leary’s performance topped silver medalist Christie Raleigh-Crossley, who set a new American Record in 1:00.18, and bronze medalist Mariana Ribeiro (1:02.22) from Brazil.
In addition to her 100 free victory, Leary also led Australia to gold in the mixed 4×100 medley relay – 34 points, anchoring in 59.88 as the squad set a new Paralympic Record of 4:27.08.
She also placed 6th in the women’s 50 free S10, clocking 27.79.
As a budding triathlete, Leary won silver for 18-19 girls at the 2019 ITU World Age Group Championships.
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