Australian swimming champion Alexa Leary has been transformed into a pop star.

After lighting up the Paralympic pool in Paris with world records, two gold medals, and a silver, Leary has now changed her name and released her debut single.

The change of the name is subtle (Lex Leary), but the transformation certainly is not.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Complete with a photo of her new popstar look, Leary announced on social media that the single Closer, which also features vocals from Sydney singer XIRA, was “finally out in the world”.

“This moment is so special to me — it’s the start of something I’ve dreamed about for so long,” Leary said on Instagram.

“From loving dance music, to learning in the studio between training sessions — shoutout to wongo music — to now releasing my first song … this is a dream come true.”

She called the new song “an absolute baddie” and was excited for people to hear it.

The national hero also revealed that dance music had been (and still is) a “huge part” of her recovery.

Leary almost died in a devastating accident in 2021.

She fell off her bike and was left with brain damage and several long-term injuries.

More than once, doctors informed her parents, Russ and Belinda, that they should prepare to say goodbye to their daughter.

Searching for answers and hope, Leary’s parents turned to a clairvoyant who predicted that the swimmer would rise to become a Paralympic gold medallist .... and that she did.

After her record-breaking gold medal swim in the 100m freestyle (S9) in Paris (she set a world record twice in 24 hours), the story of the fortune teller’s prediction from three years earlier was re-told.

“It is actually so amazing the fact that when I was in ICU, my dad got a fortune teller,” she said at the time.

“The fortune teller read that I wanted to go to the Paralympics, and now I’m here, I’m like ‘wow, I did it’.”

Leary said she was “obsessed” by dance music and it was the “soundtrack to happiness” and kept her “pushing on”.

“I have a lot of ideas in my head about dance music,” she said.

“So when I’m not training or doing OT (occupational therapy), I’ve been creating music with the support of some new friends.”

She said: “My second life is full of opportunity, not letting disability limit me.”

When Leary became a national hero, Australian DJ and music producer Fisher congratulated her via video.

“Alexa, you absolute legend,” Fisher said.

“Congrats on breaking that world record. We love ya. You’re such an inspiration.”

Meanwhile Leary busted out some moves on the podium.

“He’s one amazing person and I’ve always got my headphones in, he upbeats me every single day,” she said of Fisher at the time.

“The best song he plays is World Hold On.

“It gets me going. It gets me in race mode every single time and I don’t know, what it is about his music, but he gets me in this rhythm to just go smash it in the water.”