Alexa Leary Was Told She’d Die - Now She’s a Gold Medallist

She was told she wouldn’t survive. Years later, she’s a Paralympic gold medallist. This is the extraordinary story of Alexa Leary.

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Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary joins us for one of the most raw and powerful conversations we’ve ever had. At just 19, Alexa was involved in a catastrophic cycling accident that left her with a severe traumatic brain injury. Doctors told her family she wouldn’t survive. She lost her memory, had to relearn how to walk and talk, and now describes herself as living a “second life.”In this episode, Alexa opens up about the reality of brain injury - the emotional highs and lows, the loss of friendships, the struggle to regulate her behaviour, and the daily challenges most people never see.She shares what it felt like to be told she might die, what recovery really looked like behind hospital doors, and how she went from ICU to standing on the Paralympic podium.We also talk about her new book Sink or Swim, why she’s chosen to tell her story so honestly, and the message she wants every woman to hear.This is a story about resilience, identity, and what it truly means to start again.

In this episode, we cover:

• The accident Alexa can’t remember - and the moment everything changed
• Being told she wouldn’t survive
• What it’s really like living with a traumatic brain injury
• Losing friendships and rebuilding relationships
• Emotional regulation, anger and recovery
• From hospital bed to Paralympic gold
• Why she says she’s living a “second life”
• The truth behind her memoir Sink or Swim
• Learning to love and accept herself again

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