Nothing could prepare US Paralympic swimmer Ali Truwit for the life-threatening current she would have to fight against last year.

Truwit went snorkelling with her close friend Sophie Pilkinton in the ocean by the Turks and Caicos islands when her lower left leg was bitten off by a shark. From there, the 24-year-old made the swim of her life, with Pilkinton, 75 yards toward the safety of the boat.

Pilkinton helped to save her friend’s life by tying a tourniquet on her leg to stop the bleeding. Truwit was eventually airlifted to a Miami hospital, where she underwent multiple lifesaving operations before her leg was surgically amputated. 

Truwit would next be airlifted to a hospital in Miami, where she underwent three surgeries, including one to amputate her leg below the knee.

What was supposed to be a celebratory vacation for the two just weeks after graduating from Yale University almost resulted in death. But a year later, Truwit has regained her confidence and focus and is ready to embrace the water again.

“The Para movement basically gave [Truwit] a recovery runway,” said her mother, Jody Truwit. “I think she’s teaching me to be fearless. But I think this whole year has been her facing one fear after another. And I think a lesson for all of us in our family is don’t let fear rule you — just fight it.”

Truwit will be in action in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.