Golden girl swimming champion Alexa Leary AOM says meeting the two Sunshine Coast doctors who gave her a second chance in life was “incredible”.
A LifeFlight helicopter flew the world-record-breaking swimmer and gold-medal Paralympian to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) after a high-speed cycling accident in July 2021.
Alexa’s daily life is impacted by her traumatic brain injury (TBI). She’s advocating for a national TBI awareness day to help Australians better understand this invisible disability.
The 24-year-old, who last month won the Gold Coast Para-Athlete of the Year, says the heart-felt reunion at the LifeFlight Sunshine Coast base was something she’d wanted to do for a long time.
“I just met the doctor that was on the flight with me to the Royal Brisbane Hospital heading to ICU,” Alexa said.
“They’re the big reason why I’m here. LifeFlight is a massive reason. It’s just a big moment in my life that I finally met him. It’s incredible. I was like I’m going to shake your hand; I’m going to give you a hug!
“It just made me feel so good, of course I had a few little tears. But I just loved it.”
LifeFlight critical care doctor Andrew Hughes was responsible for Alexa’s care during the 30-minute flight from Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) to RBWH.
He and his colleague, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) critical care flight paramedic Michael O’Brien, kept the swimming champion alive and stable.
Alexa was heavily sedated because of her head injury, so she was on a ventilator to keep her airway safe and control her breathing.
Dr Hughes said the reunion was equally special for him.
“Alexa is a prime example of why we do what we do,” he said.
“The last time I saw her, she was very broken. And to now see her happy, healthy and not just thriving but excelling is a really fabulous feeling for me.
“We can’t always tell how people are going to go when we collect them, but we give people the best chance.”
Someone else who gave Alexa the best chance was Dr Hughes’ next door neighbour – off-duty nuclear medicine physician Andrew Paszkowski – who was riding his bicycle across the road from where Alexa crashed.
Dr Paszkowski surprised Alexa and her parents Russ and Belinda Leary at the reunion. They had always wondered about the mystery man who put Alexa in the recovery position.
“I just wanted to do the basics to keep her going until the ambulance arrived,” Dr Paszkowski said.
“My thought was this girl was in a lot of trouble. It was clear she’d had a significant head injury. Her helmet had a crack in it.
“We were just saying: ‘Alexa, help is on the way, it won’t be long now, you are going to be fine’.”
Alexa said meeting the first responder who kept her breathing was great.
“Oh, amazing, because I have heard so much about him and I’ve always wanted to meet him. I have been waiting for this day. It was such a happy moment for me to meet him.”
Dr Paszkowski encouraged Queenslanders to sign up for LifeFlight’s free emergency trauma First Minutes Matter program.
“You don’t need a lot of medical knowledge or training to implement these things that can be lifesaving,” Dr Paszkowski said.
“Definitely do the training, you never know when you’re going to come across an accident. And if you’ve just got those basic skills, it makes all the difference in the world.”
After 111 days in hospital, and daily rehabilitation to learn to walk and talk again, Alexa is more than fine.
She’s training in the pool eight times a week with coach Jon Bell and has her sights on the 2026 Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August and then the LA Paralympic Games in 2028.
“I feel good,” Alexa says.
“I’ve got a behaviour coach, I’ve got an OT, I’ve got support workers, so I’ve turned 4 this year. So, I’ve restarted my whole new life.
“Every day is a little bit hard with my memory but I’m good. I’m doing good. I’ve living my best life. I just always, you know, got to keep going and doing my best. Never give up!”
Alexa’s memoir Sink or Swim comes out April 14.
“It’s a big book,” Alexa said.
“It’s going to be incredible. And I’m very excited just to bring out the truth of my life. The real truth will come out and it’s going to be incredible, incredible for people to read it.”
