NORWALK – Paralympian Ali Truwit’s nonprofit Stronger Than You Think has donated $5,000 to the Stewie the Duck Swim School founded by the owners of Stew Leonard’s.
The money will be used to fund 500 swim lessons to teach the children skill they need to prevent them from drowning, according to Stew Leonard’s. The school and a foundation were created in honor of Stewie Leonard, the late son of Stew Leonard Jr. and his wife Kim, who died in a drowning accident in 1989.
The Leonards started the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, leading the couple to write two books and raise $6 million for water safety awareness.
A two-time 2024 Paris Paralmpics silver medalist and American record holder in the S10 400-meter and 100-meter backstroke, Truwit grew up in Darien and graduated from Yale University in 2023.
Two days after graduating from Yale and shortly before her 23rd birthday, she was attacked by a shark while snorkeling in Turks and Caicos. She lost her foot in the attack and swam 75 yards to safety. After being transported to Miami, she underwent two surgeries, including the amputation of part of her left leg and foot.
She attributes her survival to her swimming experience and her friend and Yale teammate, Sophie, who was in the water with her.
The Stronger Than You Think foundation was formed to help those with similar medical conditions help pay for prosthetics, the doctors, the medicines, the physical therapists, the clothes and shoes that can fit a prosthetic, according to Truwit’s website.
The swim school, which is located at 55 Westport Ave., offers four tiers of lessons for toddlers and children. They are run by American Red Cross-trained instructors. The school’s hours are Monday, 12:30-7 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
