Ali Truwit Made a Splash With These 7 Mesmerizing SI Swim Pics From Florida

The Paralympic swimmer posed in Boca Raton for the 2025 issue.

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Ali Truwit is used to making waves. The 24-year-old Paralympian just added another incredible milestone to her resume: gracing the pages of the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue. Shot by photographer Ben Horton at The Boca Raton in Florida, the athlete-turned-model radiated power and poise, reminding readers that beauty lies in strength and resilience.

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by SELIA RICHWOOD. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

The two-time silver medalist joined a standout group of athletes featured in this year’s issue, including Olympic medalists and world champions. But her journey to this moment is uniquely awe-inspiring. Just days after graduating from Yale University, where she served as co-president of the Women’s Athletic Council and competed on the Division I swim team, Truwit was the victim of a shark attack while snorkeling in Turks and Caicos. She underwent a below-the-knee amputation on her 23rd birthday and was back in the water training only a month later.

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by Norma Kamali. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

By the following summer, Truwit had not only returned to competitive swimming but also qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. There, the Connecticut native won two silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke events, breaking the American record in both races.

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by Two Fish Swim. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

“I think representation is everything,” Truwit said while on the carpet ahead of the 2025 issue Launch Party at the Hard Rock Hotel New York last week. “I am beyond honored and proud to be the second ever Paralympian in the 60-plus years of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. If you can see it, you can be it. And so I hope young girls look at this issue, and see these athletes, beautiful and strong, and see that they can be that too.”

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by Minimale Animale. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

She echoed that sentiment while on location with the team last November, reflecting on just how far she’d come.

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by HAUS OF PINKLEMONAID. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

“To think that now, what, 17 months later, I am sitting here on the beach and at the pool posing in a swimsuit for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is just a moment that gives me chills,” she added. “I hope when people look at these photos as of the issue as a whole, I hope they see the power, strength and beauty in female athletes. I hope young girls look at these photos and see that all bodies are beautiful. Whether you’re an athlete or whatever you look like, there is strength and power and beauty within you, too.”

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by Ocean Ave by Riot Swim. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Truwit’s advocacy stretches far beyond the pool or the page; she is also the founder of the Stronger Than You Think Foundation, a charity organization focused on increasing accessibility to prosthetics and providing life-saving water-safety skills.

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