Leanne Smith overcame a seemingly impossible task on Day 6 of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as she secured gold in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S3 in record time.

It comes just two years on from when she was rushed to the hospital when she was struggling to breathe only to find out that she had a partially collapsed lung and was sent to an ICU unit. 

“It’s been a rough two years, you know, and trying to regain the ability to walk, to eat, to talk even was such a struggle from a setback two years ago and it's been a dog fight day in and day out,” said Smith. 

“Making it to Paris was the first step, and then obviously just this moment was not even really in my brain. I dreamt it, and never lost hope of it but there’s always that little bit of doubt that creeps in. But I can’t believe that I was able to bounce back from everything and this time come home with a gold as well.”

The 36-year-old from Massachusetts won silver in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S3 at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, one year before she was taken to hospital. 

Needing to relearn how to eat, speak, swallow and swim, Smith "didn't know what life would be like" and wasn't even sure that swimming would be on the table so going one better and achieving gold in Paris appeared a seemingly impossible task. 

Her hospitalisation came on the back of making numerous world records and an extraordinary performance at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships in Madeira, Portugal where she won seven gold medals but this Tuesday was the crowning moment of her career. 

"If you would have told me I would be a gold medallist in this race 18 months ago when I was just getting back into the water, I would have told you you were crazy," said Smith.

"It's just another testament to the inner determination I have and people placing limitations and then me just saying, 'OK, well, just watch me, I'll make it back.'"

The 36-year-old Paralympic gold medalist, who was diagnosed with dystonia in 2012, a progressive disease which affects all four of her limbs, her vocal cords and her trunk, has not ruled out a return on home soil for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

"I haven't really thought about it too much. I know it's coming up but again, just making it here is such a huge accomplishment that I really just want to relish and take in the moments and the swims that I'm having here" she said.

“It's not off the table but at this time, we're just enjoying where we're at. Four years is a long way away so maybe some time off where it's not in the hospital or in the swimming pool is my next step. I think that's a good way to go."