“Which Limb Am I Willing to Lose?” Survivor Recalls Terrifying Fight With Great White Shark
A Sydney mother and endurance swimmer has opened up about the terrifying moment she realized she was fighting for her life after being attacked by a large great white shark.

Leah Stewart was swimming at Sydney’s Coogee Beach when the shark attacked, leaving her with serious injuries and a horrifying decision in the middle of the struggle: how to escape alive.

Stewart has since recalled the attack in deeply personal terms, describing how she fought to survive as the animal attacked her in the water.

At one point, she said she had to confront the possibility that she could lose a limb in order to escape.

The attack left Stewart seriously injured in her arm and leg, but she survived and was able to receive emergency medical treatment.

The incident shocked Sydney’s swimming community, particularly because Stewart was not an inexperienced swimmer. She was known as an endurance athlete and regularly took part in long-distance swimming.

Shark attacks remain relatively rare despite the enormous public attention they receive. But encounters involving large great white sharks can become life-threatening within seconds.

For Stewart, the experience has changed the way she views the ocean.

Rather than simply being a frightening story about a shark attack, her account has become a story of survival — and of the split-second decisions a person may have to make when faced with a predator capable of inflicting catastrophic injuries.

Her recollection also highlights why swimmers are urged to follow beach safety warnings and remain alert when shark activity is reported.

The ocean can appear calm and familiar one moment.

And then everything can change in seconds.