Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary AOM says reuniting with the two doctors who saved her life after a near-fatal cycling crash was “incredible”, describing the emotional meeting as something she had long hoped for.
A LifeFlight helicopter flew the world-record-breaking swimmer to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) following a high-speed crash in Pomona in July 2021.
Now 24, Ms Leary lives with the impacts of a traumatic brain injury and is advocating for a national awareness day to help Australians better understand the invisible disability.
“They’re the big reason why I’m here,” she said.
“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 Ms Leary’s care during the 30-minute flight from Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) to RBWH.
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He and his colleague, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) critical care flight paramedic Michael O’Brien, kept the swimming champion alive and stable.
“I came down a very big hill going 70km/h and I clipped the wheel in front of me and I went smack on the right side first, and then my helmet flung off, and I went smash on my left side,” Ms Leary said of the accident.
“And then, my lungs collapsed and I actually broke my scapula and I was just really, really bad. Really bad traumatic brain injury.”
Ms Leary 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 Ms Leary 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 she crashed.
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Dr Paszkowski surprised Ms Leary and her parents Russ and Belinda Leary at the reunion.
They had always wondered about the mystery man who put their daughter 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’.”
Ms Leary 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,” she said.
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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, Ms Leary 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,” Ms Leary said.
“I’ve got a behaviour coach, I’ve got an OT, I’ve got support workers, so I’ve turned four 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!”
Ms Leary’s memoir Sink or Swim comes out April 14.
“It’s a big book,” she 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.”
