Paralympic Games: Former Lifesaving Ironman Tom Gallagher’s Remarkable Return To The Podium After Near Death Experience In Tokyo

Paralympic Games: Former Lifesaving Ironman Tom Gallagher’s Remarkable Return To The Podium After Near Death Experience In Tokyo

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

GOLDEN RETURN: Australia’s Tom Gallagher proudly displays his 2024 gold medal after missing his presentation in Tokyo. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Gallagher’s painful experience forcing him to miss his Tokyo Games medal presentation in 2021 – but what a remarkable turnaround three years later in an extraordinary display of grit determination.

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.

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.

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

And he did it under coach, former world champion and Olympic gold medallist Ashley Callus in the Somerset College program on the Gold Coast – Callus, for so long Australia’s fastest 50m freestyle sprinter until Olympic champion Cam McEvoy toppled him from the top of the mantle last year).

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

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.

After today’s triumph, the focused, often humble and understated Gallagher told of his “painful pancreas attack” after his bronze-medal winning swim in Tokyo which forced him to miss that presentation.

BROTHERS IN ARMS: Tom Gallagher and Rowan Crothers (AUS) sharing the 50m free podium in Paris. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

“Pancreatitis is extremely painful. My heart rate went up to 240 and all my internal organs started shutting down. So, it wasn’t good,” said Gallagher.

“I didn’t make it to the podium, unfortunately, because I was in no state…I ended up in hospital for about a month and nearly died… my blood started clotting and all my internal organs started shutting down.

“I luckily had a surgery a few years ago now that’s fixed it all and I’ve managed to turn into a sprinter…. I wasn’t able to go on the podium that night but tonight makes up for it.”

“I don’t say what I can do, I just go and do it… I do it for my family and my coach … Ash and the Somerset boys and the Australian public and the swim team…. I’m stoked for the result.”

Gallagher emerged as a rising lifesaving star after winning seven gold medals at the 2018 WA State Championships -including the prestigious Open and Under 19 ironman titles – dealing with his disabilities along the way with his “can do” attitude.

He made the move that year to the Gold Coast to join the Currumbin Vikings and Burleigh Heads Surf Lifesaving Clubs and to train under noted surf coach Michael King – winning the 21km Short Course Coolangatta Gold Ironman marathon (10.5km ski, 2km swim; 3km board and 5.5km run) and first revealing to this writer his issues with pancreatitis.

FROM IRONMAN TO PARA GOLD: Tom Gallagher in his days as a lifesaving ironman. Photo Courtesy (SLSA)

I started suffering from the pancreatitis a couple of years ago and sometimes I have attacks after my races and end up in hospital, lucky I didn’t have one after the Coolangatta Gold,” said Gallagher, 19 at the time – his 2hrs 19 mins winning time in 2018 a far cry from the 23.40secs it took to claim his gold some six years later.

Gallagher led a successful opening day in the pool for the Dolphins, with co-Australian flag-bearer – five-time Olympian Brenden Hall barnstorming his way onto the podium with a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle – his seventh Paralympic medal.

The 2012 and 2016 Paralympic champion in the event, surging past Dolphins teammate Tim Hodge in the closing stages – after Hodge had been in the top three for almost the entire race.

Hall clocking 4:15.61 behind gold medallistUgo Didier (FRA) who produced a dominant final lap to win in 4:12.55 from early leader Simone Barlaam (ITA) 4.14.26 – Hodge fourth in 4:126.17.

Then came an agonising silver for 2016 and 2020 gold medallist Lakeisha Patterson in her specialist S9 400m freestyle.

Patterson had led right up until the final lap before Hungary’s Zsofia Konkoly turned the tables on the brave young Aussie to take the gold after Patterson had edged out the Hungarian in Tokyo.

“I could see her closing in that last 200 and I like a chase and thought I’d be able to get there tonight,” Patterson said. “I certainly can’t complain, it’s my third Paralympics now and I’ve podiumed at all three Games and that’s a special feeling.”