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When Alex Saffy left WA's South West at 16 to pursue his para swimming dreams, the hardest part was saying goodbye to his family.
The 18-year-old will return home with a Paralympic bronze medal and an Oceanic record to his name after a fast finish in the men's 100m butterfly S10.
With millions watching around the world, the Bunbury teenager broke into tears as he reflected on how much he had given up to get there.
"It's just a lot of emotions, you know, it's been like three years of work leading, leading up to one night," Saffy told Channel Nine.
"I left my hometown in WA … [and] moved over to Canberra.
"I didn't know anyone. I'd just turned 16. I left my family and like barely get to see them. It's just a lot of sacrifices."
Alex Saffy finished his race with a time of 56.61 seconds. (Getty Images: Adam Pretty)
The debut Paralympian, known at home as the Bunbury Bullet, was the only WA swimmer to make the Paralympic team.
He came in at 56.61 seconds, just behind Italy's Stefano Raimondi, who won seven medals at the 2020 Games, and Ukraine's Ihor Nimchenko — both eight years Saffy's senior.
Victorian teammate Col Pearse was a stroke behind him.
"I'm very happy right now," Saffy said.
"And I'm just glad my family's here because I love them a lot."
The teenager almost did not make it to Paris having missed the time he needed by 0.06 seconds at the qualifiers.
He was selected based on his performance at previous meets.
Saffy with teammate Col Pearse (left) who came in just behind him. (Supplied: Australian Paralympic Team)
Boyhood dream
Speaking to the ABC prior to the games, he said he was more comfortable in the water when, as an adolescent, his dyskinetic cerebral palsy started to affect him more.
"When I was younger, it wasn't too obvious," he said.
"Then as I started to grow, everything on the land specifically became a lot harder."
Saffy spent the first 11 years of his life undiagnosed.
He said despite being one of the fastest swimmers among his friends, he was held back as they progressed to more advanced levels due to a persistent problem with his stroke.
Alex Saffy trained at the South West Sports Centre in Bunbury. (ABC South West: Bridget McArthur)
His results immediately improved when he turned to para swimming at 15.
Saffy's mum said it was amazing how far he had come.
"We found a little picture that he drew when he was about eight or nine of him at the LA Olympics," she said.
"So to make the 2024 Paris was a little bit ahead of his eight-year-old schedule.
"But it was very cute to find and to sort of realise that he had got to where he had ultimately dreamed of as a little boy."
Alex Saffy and his mum Deborah celebrate his qualification for the Games. (Supplied: Deborah Saffy)
Hard work, cold Canberra mornings
The para athlete, who is studying a Bachelor of Commerce part-time, said he was coming to terms with the fact he was paid to swim.
"I mean some guys love swimming and they do it for free," he said.
But he said it had not been "all sunshine and rainbows".
"It's a sad life to live in my opinion … but like, I enjoy it," he said.
"It's the same for most athletes. You're not always going to want to get up and swim at six in the morning in Canberra when it's one degree and freezing.
"But then there's a part of you that still gets up and wants to do it and wants to achieve the goals that you have."
Alex Saffy says it has not been easy to chase his dreams. (ABC South West: Bridget McArthur)
Having grown up by the beach, Saffy said he preferred open water swimming and would love to see it introduced to the Paralympics.
He will have another shot at a medal in the men's 200m Individual Medley SM10 at 3.30pm WA time on Saturday, September 7.