Darien To Hold Community Send-Off For Paralympic Swimmer

DARIEN, CT — On Aug. 16 Darien will send off one of its own to Paris for the 2024 Paralympic Games.

The community is invited to line the sidewalk on the Post Road between Center Street and Corbin Drive at 9:30 a.m. on Friday to cheer for Ali Truwit as she heads to Paris to compete in three swimming events for Team USA.

A Darien resident since 2006, Truwit, 24, was bitten by a shark while vacationing in Turks and Caicos in 2023, causing her leg to be amputated.

Growing up, Truwit swam for both Weeburn Country Club and the Tokeneke Club in Darien. She graduated from St. Luke's School in New Canaan, and attended Yale University where she was a Division 1 swimmer in 2023.

On Friday, Truwit's car will have a police escort from Tokeneke Road, left onto the Post Road and continuing past Corbin Drive.

The Darien Fire Department ladder truck will be parked between A Little Something White and David Harvey, with a ladder extended displaying the American Flag. The Noroton Fire Department will also be sending an engine.

"Ali Truwit is a star in the true sense of the word. She has shown us all not only the value of persistence in building a record of accomplishment, but also the value of resilience in overcoming hardship," First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky said in a news release. "I’m very excited to see her heading off to the Paralympic Games in Paris. Way to go, Ali!"

Truwit will participate in the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paralympic Games on Aug. 28. She'll then compete in the 100 Free on Sept. 1, the 400 Free on Sept. 5, and the 100 Back on Sept. 6.

On Sept. 10, Truwit is slated to arrive home to Darien at 12 p.m.

More information on the Paralympics can be found here.