Ali Truwit Nails the Catwalk on Her Birthday, Brings Power to SI Swimsuit Runway Show

The athlete and 2025 SI Swimsuit model was a natural on the catwalk in Miami.

Ali Truwit / Ivan Apfel/Getty Images

Ali Truwit brought poise, purpose and power to the catwalk during SI Swimsuit’s Runway Show at Swim Week on May 31, which also happens to be her 25th birthday. The former Yale swimmer made her official runway debut with the brand this year, marking a full-circle moment in her journey of resilience and representation.

Truwit, who made waves with her 2025 SI Swimsuit rookie feature this month, was photographed by Ben Horton in Boca Raton, Fla.—just 17 months after surviving a shark attack that led to the amputation of her right leg below the knee. By the following summer, she had returned to competitive swimming and qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where she earned two silver medals and broke American records in the 400-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke events.

Ali Truwit / John Parra/Getty Images

“I’m really excited,” she told SI Swimsuit ahead of the runway show. “You know, two years ago it was my 23rd birthday and the date of my amputation. So now to fast forward two years, and it be my 25th birthday, and I’m getting to not only walk, but walk and represent individuals with disabilities and Paralympians and female athletes down a runway, that’s so special for me.”

Ali Trwuit / John Parra/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

This year, Truwit stunned in two runway looks, including a multicolored animal print string set from Andi Bagus, featuring dangly seashell details and a denim cheeky triangle bikini paired with a cowboy hat from Zandria.

Ali Truwit / Ivan Apfel/Getty Images

The Connecticut native is passionate about inclusion, health literacy and showing what’s possible after trauma. In addition to becoming an advocate for adaptive athletes, she founded the Stronger Than You Think Foundation, which focuses on increasing access to prosthetics and water safety education. Her story is one of courage, strength and unapologetic self-love—and she brought that same energy to the SI Swimsuit runway.

The model was one of 27 women to grace the runway at the W South Beach, where SI Swimsuit’s annual show delivered a night of empowerment, elegance and bold summer fashion.

In the days leading up to the show, the franchise hosted a lineup of exclusive activations, including a Friday night dinner party spotlighting Miami’s top culinary talent, a sun-drenched Après Swimsuit Pool Party on Saturday afternoon and a Coppertone-sponsored Beach Club experience by the water.

Held each summer, Swim Week celebrates all things swimwear and style—offering fans, models and designers a chance to connect through fashion-forward looks, VIP events and storytelling. The annual affair continues to set the tone for what’s next in swim and beyond.

Missed the SI Swimsuit Runway Show? You can watch it now on YouTube here.