“Everyone Said Goodbye to Me”: Swimmer, Who Escaped Near-Death Situation in Terrifying Conditions, Achieves an Incredible Feat

Every human being struggles at some point in their life. However, some people overcome adversities so humongous that it is impossible to not put them on a pedestal. Alexa Leary is one such person, who is inspiring the world with her brave and unusual story. Leary has been through hell and back after she cheated death and escaped from its claws. Alexa Leary is a triathlete, and during one of her ventures, as she was riding a bicycle, the unthinkable happened. A major accident changed not only her, but also her family’s life forever.

In July 2021, Alexa Leary was riding at a speed of 70 km/h on her bike when the wheel clipped and she fell ahead. She hit her head, and the wound was deep enough to be near fatal. Doctors informed her parents that they might never see their daughter open her eyes ever again, unless they removed a part of her skull. Nonetheless, Leary persevered and made her parents proud in a manner no one thought was possible again.

From deathbed to the swimming pool: an inspiring journey

In conversation with the Sydney Morning Herald, Leary recalls the time when she was unconscious, saying, “Everyone said goodbye to me. They all thought I was going to pass away.” Post her life-saving surgery, on a long road to rehabilitation, Leary learned to survive. Over two months, she relearned how to “walk, talk, brush my teeth, and wash my hair”. But there was one resounding sound in her chest. “I’m a pusher. I want to go, go, go. I told Dad every day I wanted to swim”, said Leary. 

Not only did Leary get her wish, but she also made it to the Australian para-swimming team. She will represent Australia at this year’s World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester. After she won her 100-meter freestyle final, Alexa Leary slumped in a chair and congratulated herself on how far she had come after being in a grave accident and suffering a traumatic brain injury.

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Although she recovered, it was not an easy time for the triathlon athlete, as she was told she might never walk or talk again. She recalled her hard times, and said, “Life’s really hard because I damaged all my feelings. It was a really hard time.” Because of the magnitude of the damage she suffered, Leary did not remember the accident. However, her family, especially her father, remembers the ordeal.

Leary’s father reveals the hardship she went through

The day Alexa Leary was riding the bike, Russ Leary was riding too. Alexa was riding to train, and her father was trailing behind her. Russ Leary recalled the exact moment he found his daughter. He revealed, “I was riding behind the main group. I rode into it and thought, ‘F—, don’t tell me it’s my daughter’. It was.” Due to the damage suffered, Alexa Leary was unconscious. She broke her ribs, her skull, a leg, and even her scapula. She also punctured a lung.

The extent of the injuries, coupled with the rapid blood loss, ensured that Russ had trouble recognizing his daughter. The emergency services were called and she was airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Upon reaching there, the doctors declared to her parents that she could lose her life and told them to expect the worse. A life-saving surgery, the presence of mind of the people at the site of the accident, and Alexa Leary’s willpower and bravery ensured that she recovered. As her father Russ Leary recalls teary-eyed, “What a journey”.

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