Shark Attack Survivor Decides Protecting Sharks is the Best Way to Recover

A woman attacked by a 10-foot Great White in Corona Del Mar in 2016 has now organized a running event to support sharks rather than be bitter at the biter.

“My first thought as I was swimming was holy-#$%@ I just got bit by a shark,” said Fitness trainer Maria Korcsmaros. “And I’ve got to get myself out of here.”

Korcsmaros had been swimming to train when the attack happened, but a boat nearby pulled her out and managed to get her to safety.

“Lucky for me my arm was in front so it ripped off my tricep,” she said.


It was lucky, she says because the bite hit her arm inches from her heart.

“My lungs collapsed, I had three broken ribs [and] a fractured pelvis,” Korcsmaros said.

During the months of painful rehab, including 161 staples to pull her skin back together, Korcsmaros learned everything she could about sharks.

“Chances are of you getting bit are probably less than being hit by lightning,” she said. “Toasters kill more people in a year than sharks do.”

Learning about sharks helped empower her recovery, she said. But she also learned about where sharks live and how they hunt.

But her self-education also brought her to a realization about her attack.

“Everything has to protect themselves and everything has to eat,” Korcsmaros said.

“Since I was in his house, and I was in his habitat, I decided you know what it wasn’t really the sharks fault,” she said. “It wasn’t my fault, it was just circumstances.”

Korcsmaros has organized a 5k and 1 mile Run for Sharks event on November 18th to protect sharks and ocean habitat. 

Check out the Run 4 Sharks website here


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