After shifting his focus from Surf Life Saving to pool swimming in late 2020, Tom Gallagher dreamed of representing Australia at the Paralympics.

Growing up in Perth, Gallagher was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and suffers bout of pancreatitis. He moved to the Gold Coast to pursue his swimming and surf lifesaving career, and broke the Australian record for the Men’s 400m Freestyle (S10) at the Tokyo Trials, making his Paralympic debut in Tokyo in 2020, returning with a bronze medal in the same event.

In Paris, Gallagher stormed home in the men’s 50m freestyle (s10) to win his maiden gold medal and Australia’s first for the 2024 Paralympic Games. Gallagher also won a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke S10 and 100m freestyle S10 to add to his tally.