Aurora-born Leah Hayes with alopecia found her safe haven in the pool and went on to become one of the most successful teen swimmers in the world at just 18! Hayes’s life changed in slow phases after being diagnosed at 7. She lost patches of her hair from her scalp and later completely lost all her hair. Despite being recognized at an early age by coach Nancy Hooper, her elite swimming pursuits paused after losing out on three disciplines qualifications in the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials.

After five medals victory in the World Junior Championship last year, all the while being an epitome of self-acceptance, the 18-year-old swimmer seems unstoppable headed to the 2024 Summer Olympics for her next quest.

Leah Hayes’ navigating through personal hardships

Leah Hayes being a strong individual since an early age couldn’t hide her diagnosis from others for long. She did however try wearing wigs for some time but soon realized that it didn’t hide her hair loss from other students. Soon after her flurry of golds at Worlds, in an interview with Olympics.com, she said, “In fourth grade on Veterans Day, I wrote a little speech and spoke to my whole class and told them about my alopecia, what it was, why I didn’t have hair…”

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A bold step towards her journey to self-acceptance which fortunately reflected on her sport as well. After a few lessons, young Hayes joined her neighborhood swim team where coach Hooper, who still works with her, recognized her talent. Hooper shared an instance during her initial training when she asked to oversee a practice for younger swimmers, that was it, there was no turning back since then.

Hayes’s natural strength was evident from the start, which was further confirmed when she broke her first national record in the 200m freestyle in the ten-year category. Three years later in 2028, she received the Sports Illustrated’s SportsKid of the Year award. And after the glorious wins in the Worlds, she’s currently joining a roster of elites on the road to Paris swimming prelims seeking her Olympics seat.

Current stop in road to Paris

This year’s second leg of the TYR Pro Swim Series, slated from March 6–9 is set to begin anytime in Westmont, California. Top athletes competing in a variety of disciplines are expected to benefit greatly from this event as they prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Among the elite competitors, Hayes is confirmed to swim in the competition’s last day, March 9, in the women’s 200 IM.

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Watch this story Olympic Bronze Medalist Leah Hayes Breaks Silence on Years of Trauma from Underlying Condition