‘Miracle’ swimmer Alexa Leary and wheelchair marathon star Madison de Rozario poised for greatness at Paris Paralympics

Alexa Leary only began her Para-swimming journey after a serious cycling accident ended her triathlon career three years ago. But she heads to Paris 2024 with a world record in her sights. 

Sprint superstar Rowan Crothers has two Paralympic gold medals and has won multiple World Championships. He is now aiming to break new ground.

In Tokyo, Madison de Rozario cemented her place in the pantheon of Paralympic legends with an epic marathon win. Australia’s 2024 flag-bearer will be there in Paris to defend her crown. 

At Tokyo 2020, 11 of the 21 Australian gold medals were won in the pool, on the track or in the field. 

These are the Australian swimming and athletics stars best placed to help eclipse that total at Paris 2024. 

Rowan Crothers

History awaits Rowan Crothers at Paris 2024. 

In Tokyo, he won gold in the 50m freestyle S10 and silver in the 100m freestyle S10. 

This time around, Crothers says his focus is firmly on going one better over two laps. 

And if he does, he has a real shot of becoming the first Paralympian to break the 50-second barrier. His current 100m PB is 50.70 seconds. 

This would make him the fastest para-swimmer of all time. 

Brenden Hall

Selected alongside Madison de Rozario as Australia’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony, Brenden Hall has been a Paralympic mainstay since Beijing 2008.

He won back-to-back golds in the 400m freestyle S9 in London and Rio, but failed to medal in the event in Tokyo, finishing fourth. 

After bagging a bronze in the same event at the 2023 World Championships, Hall will be hoping to roll back the years in Paris. 

Alexa Leary

Paris 2024 will be Alexa Leary’s Paralympic debut. 

She only took up Para-swimming in 2021, after a cycling accident led to a 100-day hospital stay and rehab that involved her learning to walk and talk again. 

She says she is referred to as a miracle because of her incredible recovery. 

Leary made quick progress in the pool, winning gold in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S9 and silver in the women’s 50m Freestyle S9 at last year’s World Championships. 

And with her time in Manchester only a sliver off word-record pace, Leary is poised to break new water in Paris. 

Lakeisha Patterson

Having made her Paralympic debut in 2016, Lakeisha “Lucky” Patterson has won the women’s 400m freestyle in two separate classes. 

Starting her career as an S8 and triumphing in the event at Rio, she was reclassified as an S9 in time for her win in Tokyo. 

Looking to become only the second Australian swimmer to win three golds in the same event, a 2023 World Championship victory bodes well for the 400m specialist.

Tim Hodge

Tim Hodge, 23, made waves at the Paralympic trials earlier this year with a world record in the men’s 200m Individual Medley SM9. 

And with three golds in his last two World Championship meets, that was not a swim from the blue. 

Paris 2024 will be his second Games and he will be hoping to win the first Paralympic gold of his career. 

Madison de Rozario 

Australia’s flag-bearer and wheelchair racer extraordinaire, Madison de Rozario will be competing at her fifth Games in Paris. 

Despite winning both the London and New York marathons, smashing a host of world records and collecting a slew of World Championships medals, de Rozario had to wait until Tokyo 2020 to take home her first Paralympic gold. 

In Paris, she will be looking to defend her marathon crown, as well as triumph in the 1500m and 5,000m events.

Vanessa Low 

By the time she made her Australian long jump debut, Vanessa Low was already a Paralympic gold medallist. 

In 2016, she conquered the T42 long jump for Germany, the country of her birth. But after marrying Australian Paralympian Scott Reardon and receiving citizenship, she began competing for her adopted home in 2019. 

And a change of team colours was clearly no distraction for Low at Tokyo 2020, as she won gold for Australia in the T61 long jump – a title she will be hoping to defend in Paris. 

James Turner 

Before he turned his attention to the track, James Turner could be found marshalling the midfield for Australia’s 7-aside Para-football team, the Pararoos. 

He made his track and field debut in Rio, winning gold and smashing the world record in the 800m T36. But with that event being removed from the Paralympic program for Tokyo 2020, there would be no title defence. 

Instead, Turner ran both the 100m T36 and 400m T36, in which he won silver and gold respectively. He will be back in Paris for the same two events. 

Telaya Blacksmith 

Paris 2024 will be the first taste of Paralympic action for 16-year-old long jump and 400m star Telaya Blacksmith.  

She is the first Walpiri athlete to represent Australia at a Games and one of four First Nations Paralympians heading to Paris. 

In 2022, at the age of just 14, she won her first gold medal at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games in Brisbane, and last year she competed at the Virtus Global Games in France. 

But despite her strong form heading into Paris 2024, she is keeping her feet firmly on the ground. 

“Maybe silver or bronze would be a good experience for my first Paralympic medals,” she told ABC earlier this month.