Introducing Ali Truwit, SI Swimsuit’s Newest Athlete

The Paralympian is a force in the pool and beyond—and the latest addition to the brand family.

Ali Truwit / Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

Paralympian Ali Truwit is no stranger to adversity. Shortly after successfully completing a four-year degree at Yale University, where she was a member of the swimming and diving team, the athlete was the victim of a shark attack in Turks and Caicos. Alongside her friend and former Bulldogs teammate, Sophie Pilkinton, the now 24-year-old swam 75 yards back to safety. Thanks to the quick thinking of her friend and the medical team in Miami, Truwit survived the attack.

Days later, on her 23rd birthday, she underwent a transtibial (or below-the-knee) amputation of her left leg. About a month later, she hopped back in the pool and started training again. And about a year after that, having competed in a handful of Para swimming competitions, she qualified for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

There’s no denying that Truwit’s story is inspiring. For that reason, we are happy to welcome the athlete to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit family. The Connecticut native will make her brand debut next year in the 2025 issue. In that vein, she is currently on the ground in Boca Raton, Fla. getting ready for her first brand photo shoot. Today, she will pose on the Atlantic coast for photographer Ben Horton.

“We are thrilled to launch our shoot season for the 2025 issue with an extraordinary lineup of powerful female athletes,” SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day shared. “This remarkable group, featuring Olympic medalists, world champions, and record holders, embodies the next generation of all-stars poised to transform the world of sports. They defy stereotypes and champion equality, inspiring young girls to envision themselves as both athletes and leaders. At SI Swimsuit, we’ve always celebrated the future of women, and there’s no better way to honor these remarkable achievements than by featuring them on the pages of our issue.”

Truwit will, undoubtedly, be sharing outtakes from the experience on set in Florida, so be sure to keep tabs on the brand Instagram throughout the day. In the meantime, we’re going to take a deep dive into her accomplishments in and out of the pool.

Truwit’s athletic success

Prior to losing part of her leg, Truwit had already recorded an impressive career in the pool. She was an accomplished member of the Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team, where she competed in distance freestyle events (primarily, the 500, 1000 and 1650-meter races).

After graduating from college in 2023, Truwit had every intention of joining McKinsey as a business analyst with an eye toward attending Harvard Business School in the future. But the shark attack and her resulting amputation shifted her plans. She hopped back in the pool shortly after her attack and began training again. Just over a year—and a few Para swimming competitions—later, she had qualified for the Paris Games.

Ali Truwit / Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

In France, she took home two silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-m backstroke.

Truwit’s life beyond the pool

Beyond the pool, Truwit is a passionate runner and a successful marathoner (having completed the feat shortly before the shark attack), who has her eyes set on running another 26.2-mile race in her prosthetic. She is likewise an avid baker and a passionate advocate for mental health, female empowerment and Para athletes.

Recently, she founded Stronger Than You Think, a non-profit dedicated to supporting those with limb loss and helping to save lives through water safety. At the 2024 Forbes Power Women’s Summit, she gave an inspiring keynote speech detailing her experience of “turning tragedy into triumph.”

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Now, in addition to her SI Swimsuit debut, Truwit is working on a book and a documentary, which is slated to come out in 2025—and her own baking venture, called Truwit’s Treats.

Next. Ali Truwit Official Image 1. Ali Truwit Stuns in Two-Piece, Flaunts Paralympic Medals in SI Swimsuit Debut. dark