Paralympic medalist who lost leg in shark attack turns trauma into hope with swim-a-thon fundraiser

New York Post

08-05-2025

Now she's diving headfirst into doing some good.
A Connecticut swimmer who survived a harrowing shark attack — then went on to win two Paralympic medals — is hosting a charity swim event Saturday to help other amputees pay for prosthetic limbs.
Ali Truwit, 24, — who lost her left leg after a shark bit her in the waters off Turks and Caicos two years ago — said she hopes the 'swim-a-thon' fundraiser in Stamford inspires folks to channel their inner strength.
'We can take trauma and hardship and turn it into hope,' said Truwit, of Darien, who won two silver medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics after a grueling recovery.
'We can overcome things we never thought we could overcome. We can surprise ourselves,' she told The Post.
5 Truwit won two Paralympic medals after losing her left leg.
Getty Images for USOPC
Truwit, a former Yale University swimmer, was celebrating her recent graduation with a snorkeling adventure on May 24, 2023 when she was forced to swim for her life.
As Truwit and her friend, Sophie Pilkinton, paddled through open water, the apex predator suddenly appeared — and sunk its teeth into her left foot.
Terrified and gushing blood, Truwit fought off the shark and managed to swim 75 yards back to their boat, where Pilkinton tied her foot in a tourniquet to quell the bleeding.
She was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, and her leg was amputated below the knee a week later.
Truwit was overcome by pain and devastation in the weeks that followed, along with the tedious challenge of learning to use a prosthetic limb. But she eventually got back in the water.
5 Truwit underwent a grueling recovery after losing her leg from a shark attack.
Instagram/Ali Truwit
'It's been a journey filled with grief, setbacks and insecurities about my body,' she said. 'Even days that were filled with tears, I took the moment and felt it — and then I got back up.'
As she relearned to walk with the limb, 'I was celebrating the smallest of wins,' she said, like balancing on the prosthetic for just a few seconds.
Just 16 months after her leg was removed, she won two silver medals while competing in the Women's 400-meter freestyle swim at the Paris Olympics in September 2024.
5 Truwit (right) founded the charity Stronger Than You Think.
'We're all stronger than we think,' she said.'If you had asked me three years ago, 'Could you fight off a shark and swim 75 yards to safety, I would have said, 'No way.''
'For me, once you're really faced with the possibility of dying, you want to make the best out of the second chance you've been given.'
So last year, she founded the charity Stronger Than You Think, which helps women and girls with limb loss and promotes water safety to prevent drownings.
Truwit launched the foundation after learning the high price of prosthetic limbs — often in the ballpark of $160,000 — and that health insurance companies generally won't cover the full cost.
5 Truwit's charity, Stronger Than You Think, helps amputees afford prosthetic limbs.
AP
The charity has since helped four people get prosthetics, including a 7-year-old girl who lost her leg due to a congenital disease and 25-year-old woman who had all four limbs amputated after getting sepsis during a routine medical procedure.
This month marks the second anniversary of Truwit's shark attack, which she said brings up a wave of emotions.
'May, for me, is difficult,' she said. 'Having a swim-a-thon is a way to help others and to inject some joy into that month.'
The swimming event, which is the foundation's first fundraiser, will be held Saturday at Chelsea Piers Connecticut in Stamford.
5 The swim-a-thon in Stamford, Connecticut will raise money for amputees.
During the fundraiser, people commit to a dollar amount per lap and participants then see how many they can do in two hours.
Seven Olympian swimmers, including Missy Franklin, Rowdy Gaines and Kate Douglass, have also signed on to participate remotely, Truwit said.
'I want to take a bad thing that happened to me and use it to help others,' she said. 'It feels like a hug to my heart to do this.'