College Grad Attacked by Shark on Celebratory Trip Is Running Marathon with Best Friend Who Helped Save Her Life (Exclusive) Zoey LyttleNovember 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM 1 Ali Truwit/ Instagram; Calderwood Photography Ali Truwit with her parents after the shark attack; Ali Truwit training for the N.Y.C. marathon. Nearly two and a half years after she lost her leg in a shark attack, Ali Truwit has reclaimed her love of running. On Nov.
- - College Grad Attacked by Shark on Celebratory Trip Is Running Marathon with Best Friend Who Helped Save Her Life (Exclusive)
Zoey LyttleNovember 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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Ali Truwit/ Instagram; Calderwood Photography
Ali Truwit with her parents after the shark attack; Ali Truwit training for the N.Y.C. marathon. -
Nearly two and a half years after she lost her leg in a shark attack, Ali Truwit has reclaimed her love of running. On Nov. 2, she'll run the New York City marathon on a prosthetic blade
The lifelong athlete, 25, will run alongside her parents and best friend Sophie Pilkinton, who tied a tourniquet around Truwit's leg after the attack in May 2023
Last summer, Truwit won two silver medals swimming for the Team USA at the 2024 Paralympics
As Ali Truwit lay bleeding on the floor of a rescue boat after a shark attacked her in the sky-blue waters of Turks and Caicos during a graduation trip two years ago, she had the presence of mind to make a joke.
With a tourniquet wrapped tightly around what remained of her left leg, just 10 days after she had crossed the finish line of a 26.2-mile race in Copenhagen, she quipped to one of the first responders: "At least I got my marathon in before this."
Nearly two and a half years later, Truwit, 25, still remembers how the paramedic didn't miss a beat when he told her that competition wouldn't be her last — and he was right. On Sunday, Nov. 2, she'll be running the New York City Marathon on a prosthetic blade.
Courtesy Ali Truwit
Ali Truwit and Sophie Pilkinton.
Since May 2023, the athlete has undergone a below-knee amputation, won two silver medals for the U.S. as a Paralympic swimmer and launched the Stronger Than You Think foundation. Her nonprofit works to raise water-safety awareness and donate prostheses to girls and women in need after limb loss.
"A lot of these past few years has been working to reclaim life loves that I used to have," Truwit tells PEOPLE. "Some of the stuff I've lost in this attack I'm never getting back. But if there's things that I can fight for, I'm going to fight for them tooth and nail."
Throughout her training, Truwit has come to understand the challenges of running on a blade — and the New York City route, with its literal highs and lows, promises to be a grueling test. Luckily, she's backed by the staunch encouragement of her loved ones, several of whom will actually be running alongside her.
"I have so much support, and it really is what picks me up on those days that I need it and what strengthens me on the days where I'm already feeling good," says the Connecticut native.
Her team of running mates includes both of her parents, Jody and Mitch, and her best friend Sophie Pilkinton, who initially applied Truwit's tourniquet after the attack. They met on the Yale swim team and Truwit says their lasting connection is one of her most valued relationships.
"How do you ever adequately thank someone for saving your life? I will continue trying for the rest of my life," Truwit says of Pilkinton. "To have that bond and to know what we went through together . . . Every new feat just feels that much sweeter and more special."
Courtesy Ali Truwit
Sophie Pilkinton and Ali Truwit.
The company of her friends and family will surely give Truwit strength as she makes her way toward the finish line. When her breath runs short and the battle seems impossibly uphill, she'll also think of the other amputees she's trying to inspire and help.
"I am planning to have photos of different girls that I can pull up [on my phone] when it's getting tough so I am constantly reminded of that strong why," says the Paralympian, who is a member of the New York Road Runners' marathon team and hopes to raise $100,000 for her philanthropic efforts by race day. She adds, "I think it'll be nice to be able to look at that and know, 'That's who I'm doing this for.' "
on People
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: November 01, 2025 at 05:27PM on Source: LUCIE MAG
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