How Shark Victim Ali Truwit Turned Tragedy Into Triumph

Shark attacks are rare, but when they happen, they’re devastating and often fatal.

Two years ago, Ali Truwit was snorkeling off Turks and Caicos, when a shark attack left her fighting for her life. She survived, but the attack cost her part of her left leg, which was amputated on her 23rd birthday.

What happened would have ended the athletic career of almost anyone else. Not Truwit. Less than 12 months after the attack, she qualified for the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where she earned silver medals in both the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke. She currently holds two American records in those events and finished second at the 2024 European Open Championships in the 400-meter freestyle.

Along with being a two-time Paralympic silver medalist, Truwit is a disability advocate and the founder of a growing nonprofit, Stronger Than You Think (STYT).

“Swimming saved my life that day in the ocean, and, in many ways, swimming saved it again through US Para Swimming and the Paralympics,” she says. “I am so grateful to continue giving back to a sport that has given me so much.”

The STYT foundation rests on three pillars that Truwit credits with saving her life and helping her rebuild it: water safety education, prosthetics funding for individuals with limb loss, and support for the Paralympic movement.

On May 31, STYT will host its second annual swimathon at Chelsea Piers, Connecticut. Funds raised support thousands of hours of swim lessons in underserved communities, making water safety accessible to children who might otherwise never learn to swim. Donations also support prosthetics access for individuals with limb loss, removing one of the most significant barriers to physical rehabilitation and quality of life after amputation.

“This year, we have a $100,000 match, so every dollar donated to the swimathon will be matched up to $100,000,” Truwit says.

The swimathon also supports a landmark new initiative: the first-ever paralympic Performance Incentive Fund, announced in partnership with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation. The fund is currently capitalized at $400,000 and is designed to create financial rewards for US Para Swimmers who finish in the top three or break a world record at designated World Championship-level competitions beginning this summer and continuing through the 2028 Los Angeles Games.