Para-swimmer Alexa Leary has charged past the field in a stunning comeback to anchor Australia’s mixed 4×100-metre team to victory on day five of the Paralympic Games.

The team of Jesse Aungles, Timothy Hodge, Emily Beecroft and Alexa Leary celebrated the incredible victory and new Paralympic record on Tuesday morning (AEST).

Aungles swam first with a superb handover in second place to Hodge before Beecroft’s valiant swim kept the team within medal distance.

Then Leary, who had not been expected to live after a cycling crash in 2021, smashed past the field to snatch gold with a stunning finish.

The 23-year-old had been in fifth place when she dived into the pool for her freestyle leg, but past every competitor in front of her.

It was one of two gold medals for Australia on day five, with para triathlete Lauren Parker triumphant in the PTWC.

Australia won silver medals in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke S14 with Jake Michel.

Boccia player Jamieson Leeson won silver and made Australian Paralympic history by becoming the first woman to win a boccia medal.

Dan Michel also won silver in the Boccia in the men’s individual BC3.

Bronze medals were added to Australia’s tally in javelin throw F64 (Michal Burian) and wheelchair rugby, with the Steelers defeating Great Britain 50-48.

Relay gold

After anchoring Australia to gold, Leary was overcome with excitement and declared: “We’re the best team ever.”

“They were a bit in front and I was like, ‘I gotta chase these people’,” Leary told Channel Nine.

“We’re a strong team, like all of us did our best. And I loved it. We were like, come on guys, let’s get this. And we did it.”

Leary landed on her head in a cycling accident in 2021 when her front wheel clipped the bike at 70km/hr on the Sunshine Coast.

She suffered major brain damage, blood clots and several broken bones and was not expected to live, but defied the odds to learn to walk again.

Triathlon gold

Lauren Parker’s bid to become Australia’s first dual-sport Paralympic medallist in more than 40 years is alive after she buried the pain of Tokyo to win the gold medal in the PTWC triathlon.

The 35-year-old, who missed out on gold in Japan by just one second, sealed redemption in Paris.

She established an early lead in the 750-metre Seine swim and never looked back.

It capped a turbulent 12-month period where the Australian has had to alter her race style in all three formats after a bike accident in training.

Lauren Parker competes in the Women’s PTWC para triathlon. Photo: Getty

“Every single day, every single training session, I’ve worked so hard to accomplish what I have today,” she said.

“I’ve been through a bike accident and lots of other things that I’ve had to overcome, and to be able to do this today is so special.”

Parker crossed the finish line with a time of 1:06.23, with Gretsch clinching silver with 1:07.46.

The victory puts Parker on course to become Australia’s first dual-sport Paralympic gold medallist at a Games since Eric Russell completed the feat in 1976.

Parker’s attention will now turn to cycling, with the Australian set to compete in the individual time trial and the road race.

-with AAP