Swimmer makes incredible comeback just one year after shark ripped off her leg
Ali Truwit was snorkelling with a pal last year when disaster struck and a shark attacked her
A swimmer who was determined not to 'lose her love of the water' has defied the odds a year on from a horror shark attack.
Ali Truwit, 24, who will be competing in this year's Paralympic Games in Paris, lost her leg in a shark attack last year during a snorkelling trip with a pal.
Ali, from Connecticut, thought she'd never return to the water again after the terrifying incident, but after a lot of hard work, she qualified for the 100m freestyle, the 400m freestyle and the 100m backstroke.
"I love comeback stories," she said.
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"I’ve definitely relied on other people’s comeback stories to help me hold on to what feels like a bold and unrealistic hope — of fighting off a shark and surviving and losing a limb and making the Paralympics all in a year."
Ali's devastating attack came while she was snorkelling in Turks and Caicos with a friend last May.
She was bitten by a shark, but luckily managed to escape to safety after swimming 75 metres for her life.
"We tried to fight back," she told the Associated Press.
"My immediate thought was, 'Am I crazy or do I not have a foot right now?'
"It was a really hard image for me. But you move immediately into action."
After managing to return to the boat, Ali was rushed to hospital via helicopter where she underwent emergency surgery and an amputation on her lower leg.
Determined not to 'lose her love of the water' Ali put in a tremendous amount of work to recover - both mentally and physically - in preparation for the Paralympics.
"I was just really curious how I was going to feel being back on the pool deck and back in a competitive space," she said.
"The more I worked at it, the flashbacks reduced and the pain lessened."
With the Paralympics about to begin, Ali says she's 'so thankful' to feel joy in the water.
"A year ago, I was just working to get back in the water," she said.
"I now get back in the water and that sense of joy comes back, and the smile comes back. To have that again is something I'm so thankful for.
"Honestly, it's one of the moments in my swim career that I'm the proudest of because I know how much work it took."
The Paralympic Games will begin on today (28 August) until Sunday 8 September.
Topics: Sport, Paralympics
Lucy Devine