Swimsuit

Paralympic Medalist Ali Truwit Exposes Shocking Cost of Prosthetics and Barriers for Amputees

The swimmer and SI Swimsuit model shared a candid message on her nonprofit Stronger Than You Think’s Instagram account.

Ananya Panchal

Ali Truwit
Ali Truwit / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images/Sports Illustrated

Ali Truwit is using her platform to speak up about a reality few outside the limb loss community understand.

The two-time Paralympic silver medalist, who made history as the third amputee to appear in the SI Swimsuit franchise, recently posted a powerful video to the Stronger Than You Think Instagram account, where she showed her prosthetic leg and delivered an eye-opening message.

“Would you have guessed that this leg costs over $20,000 and it’s not even waterproof?” she said in the clip. “I can’t wear it in the shower or to go swimming. Regular life joys like wanting to run or enjoy winter sports—you need different prosthetics for all of those activities. And a lot of insurances will only cover one basic prosthetic. Mobility shouldn’t be a luxury. Help us get more women and girls what they need so they can live active and healthy lives.”

Ali Truwit
Ali Truwit / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images

Truwit founded the nonprofit Stronger Than You Think in December 2024 after surviving a life-altering shark attack in 2023, just days after graduating from Yale University. She decided to amputate her leg below the knee and returned to the water within a month. Since then, she’s gone on to accomplish more than most do in a lifetime—earning Paralympic medals, walking in the SI Swimsuit runway show at Swim Week on her 25th birthday in May and posing for photographer Ben Horton in Boca Raton, Fla., as one of 10 elite athletes featured in the 2025 magazine.

Now, the Connecticut native is training for the New York City Marathon in November, aiming to raise $100,000 to fund new prosthetics for girls and women and advocating for systemic change along the way.

Through her organization, Truwit and her team have already funded 11 prosthetics for young women and girls with limb loss. But the need is still great. Stronger Than You Think also funds water safety programs and supports Paralympic athletes with resources, such as stipends, health insurance and training as they prepare for competitions.

“Amputees need different prosthetic legs to live an active life, like a running blade to run and a daily high-activity prosthetic leg to live life in, and yet another to swim or shower in,” the caption continued. “But insurance typically covers only one basic prosthetic. Tens of thousands of dollars and more just for the freedom to run, jump, swim and be active and healthy.”

Ali Truwit
Ali Truwit / Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images/Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

As Truwit continues to inspire with her resilience and advocacy, her message is clear: mobility is not a luxury. It’s a right.

Learn more or donate at strongerthanyouthink.org.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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