Paige Leonhardt, the Paralympic swimming star, has courageously shared her struggle with psychosis following a recent surgery. The 25-year-old athlete, who has undergone regular surgeries since a car accident at age five, took to Instagram to detail her heartbreaking experience.
Leonhardt's Health Journey
Leonhardt's medical history is extensive. The car accident when she was five threw her from the vehicle, leading to four years of recovery that included spinal taps, MRIs, and operations to remove fluid from her brain. She also suffered haemorrhages behind the eyes and has drusens, yellow deposits under the retinas. To this day, she contends with hemiplegia on her right side, intracranial hypertension, epilepsy, and autism.
The Psychosis Episode
In a candid Instagram post, the three-time Paralympian explained her recent silence: "I've been quiet for a while because life changed in ways I never expected. I experienced my first psychosis post my recent surgery, and since then I've been trying to find my footing again." She described the difficulty of adjusting to weight gain caused by medication, stating, "I don't feel like myself and it's scary and upsetting to feel traumatised and stressed."
Leonhardt emphasized that healing isn't linear: "Going through a psychosis at just 25 was terrifying and something I'm so scared to experience again. I'm sharing this because mental health struggles don't always 'look' the way people expect." She expressed gratitude for her support network, including her QAS support team, doctors, GP, and private psychologist.
Support and Future Plans
The post was met with an outpouring of love and support from followers. Leonhardt vowed to share more details about her symptoms when the time is right, adding, "Psychosis is real and it can happen to anyone. I got through something so traumatic and terrifying but my road to recovery hasn't been easy." She concluded with hope: "I'm willing to do the work to get back to feeling like me."
Leonhardt began swimming at age 12 while still undergoing therapy from the car crash. She won bronze at the Australian Championships at 13 and made her Paralympic debut in 2016. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, she claimed a silver medal, a testament to her resilience despite lifelong injuries.
