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Swimmer goes for gold at Paralympics a year after losing leg in shark attack
A U.S. swimmer has reclaimed her love for the water and is going for gold in Paris when the Paralympics kick off this week — just over a year after she lost her leg in a shark attack.
“I love comeback stories,” 24-year-old Ali Truwit said. “I’ve definitely relied on other people’s comeback stories to help me hold on to what feels like a bold and unrealistic hope — of fighting off a shark and surviving and losing a limb and making the Paralympics all in a year.”
The Connecticut native and a friend were snorkeling off Turks and Caicos on May 24, 2023 when a shark charged and bit Truwit’s lower left leg.
“We tried to fight back,” Truwit recalled.
“My immediate thought was, ‘Am I crazy or do I not have a foot right now?'” she added. “It was a really hard image for me. But you move immediately into action.”
Bleeding and with the shark circling, the former Yale swimmer went into competitive mode and raced 75 yards toward the safety of the boat.
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Once on the boat, Truwit’s friend Sophie Pilkinton applied a tourniquet to slow the bleeding.
Truwit was rushed to the hospital and airlifted to the United States, where she had three surgeries. On her 23rd birthday, she underwent a transtibial — below-the-knee — amputation.
“A lot of dark days,” she said. “But I’m alive and I almost wasn’t.”
Putting in the work
As Truwit went to rehab, her “why?” began to change. Instead of, “Why did this happen to me?” she centered on, “Why not throw everything into something?”
More specifically, why not the Paralympics? After all, she had plenty of time to get ready for the 2028 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles.
“But I’m not someone who waits,” she said.
So, Paris 2024 it was, even if the time frame was incredibly tight.
She went through prosthetic training and strength exercises. She also worked with trauma therapists, which led to narrative therapy to re-author her life and combat her nightmares.
“So that I don’t let fear rule my life,” Truwit explained. “I had lost enough and anything that was on the table for me to regain, I was going to fight to regain it.
“I didn’t want to lose a limb and my love of the water, too.”
She teamed up with her club coach, Jamie Barone, to help her get into contention for a Paralympic spot.
“I was just really curious how I was going to feel being back on the pool deck and back in a competitive space,” Truwit said. “The more I worked at it, the flashbacks reduced and the pain lessened.”
She qualified for nationals in Orlando, Florida, where she swam freestyle and backstroke. In April, she attended an international meet in Portugal — her first trip out of the country since the shark attack. Her mom was there as she shined in the 400 free S10 category, in which swimmers have a physical impairment affecting one of their joints.
“She’s just basically a workhorse who refuses to give up,” said her mom, Jody. “That’s who she was before the attack and amputation and that’s who she is every single day now.”
A spot on Team USA
At U.S. Paralympic trials in Minneapolis in late June, Truwit won the 100 backstroke, 400 free and 100 free. She joins a team that includes Paralympic swimming great Jessica Long and a host of returning medalists from Tokyo.
“I think hearing my name on that team was just a reminder to me that I’m stronger than I think,” said Truwit. “That we’re all stronger than we think.”
In Paris, she will have the support of about 50 family members and friends.
“A year ago, I was just working to get back in the water,” Truwit said. “I now get back in the water and that sense of joy comes back, and the smile comes back. To have that again is something I’m so thankful for. Honestly, it’s one of the moments in my swim career that I’m the proudest of because I know how much work it took.”
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.