{"id":347965,"date":"2025-11-01T12:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T12:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/347965\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T12:31:11","slug":"25-year-old-who-lost-foot-in-shark-attack-running-nyc-marathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/347965\/","title":{"rendered":"25-year-old who lost foot in shark attack running NYC Marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"play\"<\/p>\n

Man cheers on generic name at NYC marathon bringing joy to strangers<\/p>\n

Blake Hudson decided to show up to the New York City marathon with a sign that said “John” to fiercely cheer on random strangers.<\/p>\n

USA Today<\/p>\n

NEW YORK \u2014 When Ali Truwit crossed the finish line of the Copenhagen Marathon<\/a> in 2023, she had a clear plan for the next few years. She was about to graduate from Yale University<\/a>, where she was part of the Division I swim team, had a consulting job set up at McKinsey & Company<\/a>, and was set to travel to Turks and Caicos<\/a> on a celebratory trip.<\/p>\n

Ten days later on that vacation, the unthinkable happened.<\/p>\n

She was snorkeling when a shark attacked her and bit off her left foot and part of her leg. On her 23rd birthday, she underwent surgery to amputate her leg below the knee. Running at all, let alone training for another marathon, felt like a far-away fantasy.<\/p>\n

On that boat, one of the first responders, Matthew Bevilacqua, helped keep Truwit conscious. In a social media post, Truwit recounted that she joked<\/a>, \u201cAt least I got my marathon in before this.\u201d Without missing a beat, he responded: \u201cYou\u2019ll run another one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was right. Two-and-a-half years after that attack, the 25-year-old is lacing up her shoes for another marathon \u2013 this time, to run the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 2.<\/p>\n

More: <\/strong>Boston Marathon runner helps fellow competitor finish strong after fall<\/a><\/p>\n

From shark attack to Paralympics<\/p>\n

Truwit and her friend Sophie Pilkinton, who was also on Yale\u2019s swim team, were snorkeling together at the time of the shark attack. Truwit and Pilkinton swam approximately 75 yards back to their boat, where Pilkinton helped save Truwit\u2019s life by applying a tourniquet to her leg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was then airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, where she had two surgeries and worked with a team of trauma doctors. When she left the hospital, she asked her parents to put all her shorts and skirts away. She didn\u2019t want anyone to see her prosthetic leg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to learn how to love this new body without my left lower leg, and that was really hard,\u201d Truwit says.<\/p>\n

As a lifelong athlete, Truwit knew she wanted to get back into the water, but struggled with triggers and flashbacks of her attack. She started with small steps, swimming in the pool in her backyard, and a little over three months later, at her childhood pool in Chelsea Piers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start, it really was learning how to give myself grace and grieve and understand that that’s part of it, to recognize that I was feeling sad or angry or whatever it was, and letting myself feel those emotions,\u201d Truwit says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She started training seriously in September. By December 2023, she had competed in the U.S. Paralympic Swimming National Championships and decided on trying for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n

Sixteen months out from the attack, she competed<\/a> in the Paralympic Games, where she set two American records and earned silver medals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really highlighted the power of our minds in unlocking our capabilities and just how strong the mind is in helping us achieve what we can do,\u201d Truwit says.<\/p>\n

More: <\/strong>He did a marathon with 24 hours notice thanks to his wife. Experts advise against it.<\/a><\/p>\n

Learning to run again<\/p>\n

Last July, Truwit got a running blade prosthetic, which uses a curved shape and carbon fiber to allow runners to move faster than with traditional prosthetics.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea kind of unfolded again, of, \u2018Hey, what if I could pull off running a marathon a year after getting the blade?\u2019\u201d Truwit says.<\/p>\n

Truwit has shared the ups and downs of her training journey on social media<\/a>. She started training on a treadmill, and had to adapt to running on rough surfaces, which is challenging without the stability of the ankle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Training as an amputee means accounting for factors like limb management, which in some cases meant taking breaks<\/a> from training to avoid infection. During long runs, she has to remove her prosthetic to dry off the sweat.<\/p>\n

During her own journey, she was shocked by the price of prosthetics and how little insurance often covers it. In December 2024, Truwit founded Stronger Than You Think<\/a>, a nonprofit focused on promoting water safety, access to prosthetics and the Para movement. She\u2019s since helped donate 11 prosthetic legs to women and girls.<\/p>\n

Truwit ran that Copenhagen Marathon on Mother\u2019s Day in 2023 with her mom alongside her. In this race, she\u2019s running alongside 11 family members and friends, including Pilkinton. She has a goal to fundraise $100,000 for Stronger Than You Think.<\/p>\n

Truwit plans to make a run for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. For now, she\u2019s focused on enjoying Sunday\u2019s race.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very top of mind coming out of the attack, would I ever run again?\u201d Truwit says. \u201cIt’s been really healing to have the goal and work towards it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel Hale\u2019s role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.\u00a0Reach her at rhale@usatoday.com and\u00a0@rachelleighhale<\/a>\u00a0on X.<\/p>\n