American Swimmer Ali Truwit Wins Paralympic Silver 16 Months After Surviving Shark Attack

PARIS, Sept 6 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The Paralympic Games in Paris have given us human stories in nearly every event, and we can now add Ali Truwit's to the long list of stories of overcoming extreme adversity.

The 24-year-old American claimed the silver medal in the S10 400 metres freestyle on Thursday, less than a year and a half after losing half of her left leg in a shark attack, Xinhua reported.

In May 2023, Truwit was attacked by a shark while snorkelling in waters off the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. She swam 70 metres to the dive boat, where a friend tied a tourniquet around her leg to stop the bleeding.

Doctors saved her life but had to amputate her leg below the knee. After overcoming an initial fear of water, she returned to training just four months after the attack and competed in her first Paralympics.

"There will be days when it's great, and there are going to be days when I have to fight to get that love back. But I'd say I'm at a 90-10 right now, really feeling comfortable and happy in the water," she told the press after winning her medal, admitting that the events of last May are still very fresh in her mind.

Truwit said her resilience came from her parents, who taught her to “look for the positives in life and appreciate all we've been given... So when I was faced with a life-changing trauma, I worked to see the positives and let that carry me as I adapted to the situation.”

However, she added that coming so close to dying also made her realise the true value of life: 'You understand what a second chance at life means, and you want to make the most of it. I’ve worked to do that, and it has not been without an incredible, incredible support system,' said the swimmer.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA