{"id":595758,"date":"2024-08-29T18:00:40","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T01:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=595758"},"modified":"2024-08-29T22:02:28","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T05:02:28","slug":"paralympic-games-former-lifesaving-ironman-tom-gallaghers-remarkable-return-to-the-podium-after-near-death-experience-in-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/paralympic-games-former-lifesaving-ironman-tom-gallaghers-remarkable-return-to-the-podium-after-near-death-experience-in-tokyo\/","title":{"rendered":"Paralympics: Lifesaving Ironman Tom Gallagher Returns to Podium after Near-Death Experience In Tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paralympic Games: Former Lifesaving Ironman Tom Gallagher Makes Remarkable Return To Podium After Near Death Experience In Tokyo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Standing on the Paralympic gold medal podium in Paris Thursday has been three painful, determined years in the making for former WA lifesaving ironman Tom Gallagher<\/strong> who revealed he almost died after being rushed to hospital after winning his 400m bronze on debut in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

\"Tom

BROTHERS IN ARMS: Tom Gallagher and Rowan Crothers (AUS) sharing the 50m free podium in Paris. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).<\/p><\/div>\n

Gallagher\u2019s painful experience forcing him to miss his Tokyo Games medal presentation in 2021 \u2013 but what a remarkable turnaround three years later in an extraordinary display of grit determination.<\/p>\n

In Tokyo, the then 23-year-old had just won his bronze at his first Paralympic Games and was forced to miss his medal moment after suffering an agonising pancreatitis attack – landing him in hospital for what was the start of a painful, long, road back to full health.<\/p>\n

But today Gallagher and his family were able to celebrate with the perfect reward when he surged to the wall to claim Paralympic gold in the 50 metres freestyle on Day 1 of the Paris Games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old Gold Coaster transforming himself from middle-distance to freestyle sprint star after the 400m was dropped from the S10 classification.<\/p>\n

And he did it under coach, former world champion and Olympic gold medallist Ashley Callus<\/strong> in the Somerset College program on the Gold Coast \u2013 Callus, for so long Australia\u2019s fastest 50m freestyle sprinter until Olympic champion Cam McEvoy toppled him from the top of the mantle last year).<\/p>\n

Gallagher getting his hand on the wall first in 23.40 seconds ahead of Brazilian Phelipe Rodrigues <\/strong>(23.54) and Australian teammate and defending Paralympic champion Rowan Crothers<\/strong> (23.79).<\/p>\n

The former City of Perth, WA lifesaver has lived with cerebral palsy and pancreatitis almost all his life, often dodging a bullet after pushing himself in pursuit of his sporting dreams, which started as a young lifesaver in Perth and has culminated in Paralympic gold.<\/p>\n

After today\u2019s triumph, the focused, often humble and understated Gallagher told of his \u201cpainful pancreas attack\u201d after his bronze-medal winning swim in Tokyo which forced him to miss that presentation.<\/p>\n