Souvenirs from Paris

Katherine Calderwood

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In our last issue, we featured swimmer Ali Truwit ’23, who lost her foot in a shark attack in 2023 and began training for the Paralympic Games (“Pain and Courage: Reorienting a Life,” September/October). Just as our issue came out in early September, Truwit was competing in the games in Paris. She won two silver medals—in the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke—and broke the American record in both events. She also got a taste of celebrity, appearing on the Today show and taking a helicopter ride with Tom Cruise before returning to her home in Darien, Connecticut, for a town-wide celebration. “I’m still soaking it all in,” Truwit told Today. “I think going for the Paralympics and just even trying to make it was the most healing decision I could’ve made for my recovery. The strength, the inclusivity, the optimism, the hope that it’s given me is irreplaceable.”