What does it really take to build a happier life—and how do we find hope when life doesn’t go according to plan?
Join Yale professor and host Dr. Laurie Santos for a special live taping of The Happiness Lab. Based on Dr. Santos’ course at Yale University, the most popular course in its 300-year history, the night will draw on the latest psychology research, exploring what truly makes us happier—and challenge common assumptions that money, career success, or picture-perfect experiences are the keys to a more fulfilling life.
Featuring special guest, Ali Truwit, medal winning Paralympian who also went to Yale and has an amazing story of resilience after surviving a shark attack days after graduating from college. Through a conversation about resilience, perspective, connection, and active hope, Santos and Truwit will explore how we can navigate adversity while still making space for joy, meaning, and possibility.
Come curious. Leave inspired—and with a few science-backed ideas for a happier life.
Ali Truwit.
Ali Truwit’s life changed dramatically during a trip to Turks & Caicos in May 2023. Just days after graduating from Yale and completing a marathon, the Division I swimmer embarked on a snorkeling adventure with her best friend, Sophie Pilkinton, that turned into a nightmare. A shark attacked Ali and bit off her foot. Relying on the strong swimming skills she had developed in the pool, she swam nearly 75 yards through the open ocean to the boat, where Sophie administered lifesaving measures and applied a tourniquet.
After being airlifted to a hospital in Miami for emergency surgery, Ali was transferred to Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where she underwent a below-the-knee amputation on her 23rd birthday. After an extended recovery in the hospital and at home, Ali took the first step toward regaining her love of the water by dipping one toe into the family’s backyard pool. Over time, she battled both physical and mental pain and began to swim again.
In an astonishingly short period, Ali began competing in meets that would allow her to compete at the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Trials for a spot on Team USA. Roughly a year after the shark attack and amputation, Ali qualified for Team USA, setting an American record in the 100 back and winning the 100 free and 400 free S10 at Trials.
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Ali won two silver medals and broke two American records in the 400m Free and 100m Back S10 events. Her inspirational story was shared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Today, CBS Evening News, and celebrated by many other fans, including Tom Cruise, who invited Ali to visit the set of Mission: Impossible as she returned from Paris.
In 2025, Ali completed another amazing accomplishment, running the New York City Marathon on her prosthetic blade, only her second marathon – the first being just 10 days before she lost her leg. She ran alongside 14 of her family and friends, who raised over $250,000 for her foundation.
Ali is now focused on advocacy and spreading hope. She shares her journey through public speaking and through her nonprofit, Stronger Than You Think, which supports water safety, the Paralympic movement, and access to prosthetics for women and girls. She also promotes the message of turning trauma into triumph through the award-winning documentary Stronger Than You Think and a forthcoming book that she is writing for St. Martin’s Press.
