'So proud': Alexa's dad tells remarkable, little-known story

Three years ago, Alexa Leary stepped onto the pool deck in Adelaide with little knowledge of what her future in the sport was going to look like.

From surviving a hellish bike crash to winning gold at the Paralympic Games in Paris last year, Leary's story has captured hearts across Australia.

The 23-year-old's remarkable journey continued at the national swimming trials on Tuesday night in Adelaide, where she won the women's 50-metre freestyle multi-class final and fell just 0.01 of a second short of her world record.

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Awaiting her are the world para-swimming championships, to be held in Singapore in September.

In Brisbane at last year's Paralympic trials, Leary's dad Russ broke down in tears in a beautiful interview on Nine, overjoyed with his daughter qualifying for the Paris Games.

In Adelaide on Tuesday night at this year's trials, he again choked back tears in an interview on Nine, while painting a picture of his daughter's extraordinary recovery.

"Don't make me cry again," Russ told Cate Campbell in the crowd.

"You go back to the time of the accident," he continued, being comforted by his wife Belinda.

"The trauma ... It is happy sadness now. You just roll along.

Watch the 2025 Australian swimming trials live and free on Nine and 9Now, taking place from June 9-14.

"Three years ago we came to this meet ... She had no coach; I brought her. We didn't know she had to go to transition.

"It was [former Olympic swimmers] Meagen Nay and Brittany Elmslie who were commentating, and they ran out and said, 'What are you doing?'. I said, 'I don't know'. We walked her back in.

"At the time, she had no hair and her brain damage was very foggy. We used to have to write on her hand how many laps she had to do and she would look before she dived in.

"She's come an amazing way. Alexa, we are so proud of you."

Leary pointed to her strong mentality in a chat with reporters after her 50m freestyle win.

"I've just had a really big mental game. I've gotten stronger and stronger every day," said the Sunshine Coast product.

"It shocks me as to how far I have come.

"It's been a big journey for me and I'm only getting better and better."

She stopped the clock at 23.24 seconds in the one-lap dash on Tuesday night, going tantalisingly close to the world record she set in Sydney last month.

"I was really focused tonight on what my coach has been going through with all my skills and drills. I hope that tonight I did do what he wanted," she said.

"Personally, I'm not here to break a world record ... My big show time is in Singapore."

She remembers vividly how much she was struggling at the Adelaide meet her dad was talking about.

"I wanted to start swimming for rehab and to try to get my right side to rework," Leary recalled.

"I remember diving in here for my warm-up and I had no goggles on. I just forgot ... I did have memory loss.

"I just think I've come so far from that day. Like, woah."