Ali Truwit: When she got back into the pool, she had 'flashbacks' to her shark attack that cost her her leg. Now this US swimmer has won two Paralympic medals

CNN
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When American swimmer Ali Truwit returned to the water for the first time after losing her leg in a shark attack, the sound of the water splashing in the pool triggered “flashbacks” to that day.

“It was really, really hard,” she told CNN's Don Riddell. “At that point, it felt physically like the water temperature was sending electric shocks through my leg because it had just been amputated and had all these new nerve endings. Then when I heard the sound of the water, the emotional feeling triggered flashbacks to the attack.”

But at the same time, there were also “glimmers of hope,” she added, “moments in the water that felt peaceful and joyful” as she tried to rediscover her “love for the water.”

And just 16 months after that life-changing day, she was swimming on the biggest stage of all, winning two Paralympic silver medals in the Women's S10 400m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke in Paris.

“It's an indescribable feeling, but it rests on the shoulders of so many who have supported me so much this year, even in the stands in Paris,” she said.

Truwit was a competitive swimmer for Yale University, where she studied cognitive science and economics, and was on vacation with teammate Sophie Pilkinton to go snorkeling in the Turks and Caicos Islands when the attack occurred.

“It was a terrible day, a terrible time and a terrible moment that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy,” Truwit said. “But when I look back now, I try to focus instead on the strength that Sophie and I showed, and how grateful I am for Sophie's composure and her medical knowledge and expertise, but also for her selflessness and friendship, which saved my life.”

They were able to fend off the shark and swim back to the boat, where their friend applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Truwit was then flown by helicopter to the hospital, where doctors operated on her three times, eventually amputating her left leg just below the knee on her 23rd birthday.

“I definitely have flashbacks of the attack and had several nightmares in the first few days,” she said. “My mom spent countless sleepless nights with me and helped me get through it. But I think I just have to learn to face the fear, learn that I can have a flashback and be OK and get over it.”

Within a month of the attack, Noelle Lambert, an American Paralympic athlete who had also competed in Paris, contacted Truwit, laying the groundwork for her participation in the Paralympics.

“It started … with trying to rediscover my love of the water and then trying to get some exercise and cardio in, which I was sorely missing, and then the question started to arise: What if I could do it?” she said.

“And when I have 'what if' thoughts, they don't usually end very positively. They're more nervous and anxious thoughts, and so it was exciting for me that in the midst of a lot of sadness and tears, I had a 'what if' thought that was so exciting and happy.”

And when she competed in Paris, her family, her coach – who came out of retirement to guide her back into competition – and her friends, including those who saved her life, were all in the stands cheering her on as she won her silver medals.

“My lifesavers, heroes, sisters, best friends. The most selfless, incredible, caring and strongest inspirations I will ever have,” she wrote on Instagram next to a photo of the two friends who allegedly saved her life.