Swim-a-thon fundraiser organized by Paralympic medalist following shark attack, converting personal tragedy into hope.
Meet Ali Truwit, the former Yale swimmer who's turned trauma into triumph. After a shark attack left her with a lost limb, she swam her way to victory, bagging two Paralympic silver medals. Now, she's hosting a charity swim-a-thon on Saturday to help fellow amputees afford prosthetics.
According to the apex predator, a shark bite was all it took to alter Truwit's life forever. During a snorkeling adventure celebrating her graduation, the ferocious beast sunk its teeth into her left foot. Facing horrors most of us can't fathom, Truwit mustered the strength to swim 75 yards back to her boat and survive.
The fight was far from over. Truwit underwent a grueling recovery, demonstrating an unyielding resolve that eventually led her back to the pool. "I was celebrating the smallest of wins," she recalls. Just 16 months post-amputation, Truwit hoisted two silver medals in the Women's 400-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
"We're all stronger than we think," she says. "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.'"
Truwit's indomitable spirit led her to establish the charity, Stronger Than You Think, focused on supporting women and girls with limb loss. The foundation also promotes water safety, aiming to prevent drownings.
The staggering cost of prosthetics, often around $160,000, and insurance companies that rarely cover the full expense, inspired Truwit to take action. Her charity has already helped four people, including a seven-year-old girl and a 25-year-old woman, procure prosthetic limbs.
May, the anniversary of her shark attack, brings a wave of emotions for Truwit. Despite the hardship, she looks to make the most of it by hosting her first charity fundraiser, a swim-a-thon, at Chelsea Piers Connecticut in Stamford. Participants commit to a dollar amount per lap, swimming as many laps as they can within two hours.
Seven Olympian swimmers, including Missy Franklin, Rowdy Gaines, and Kate Douglass, have pledged their support for the event by swimming remotely. "I want to take a bad thing that happened to me and use it to help others," says Truwit. "It feels like a hug to my heart to do this."
- Despite facing horrors like a shark attack that required prosthetics, former Yale swimmer Ali Truwit, who won two Paralympic silver medals in 2024, is hosting a charity swim-a-thon on Saturday to help fellow amputees afford prosthetics.
- The cost of prosthetics, often around $160,000, and insurance companies that rarely cover the full expense, inspired Truwit to establish Stronger Than You Think, a charity focused on promoting health-and-wellness, mental-health, sports, and supporting women and girls with limb loss.
- In addition to raising funds for prosthetics, Truwit's charity also promotes water safety, aiming to prevent drownings, a cause close to her heart after overcoming a shark attack.
- With seven Olympian swimmers, including Missy Franklin, Rowdy Gaines, and Kate Douglass, pledging their support for the event, Truwit's first charity fundraiser, a swim-a-thon, at Chelsea Piers Connecticut in Stamford, is a testament to her indomitable spirit and drive to turn setbacks into triumphs.
