This 54-year-old woman used the horrifying events of her past as a catalyst for helping people in the future.

Maria Korcsmaros was training for a triathlon last year when she was bitten by a great white shark measuring nine-feet long.

Maria Korcsmaros was training for a triathlon last year when she was bitten by a great white shark measuring nine-feet long.

The swimmer was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis, three broken ribs, and muscle damage to her waist and arm. After being treated in the intensive care unit for three days, she was released a week and a half later. Though her movement was strained, she was able to walk.

Thanks to intensive training and exercise, Maria has essentially made a full recovery – and she has started volunteering at the life-changing trauma center, so she can help the next woman wheeled in.

And, if you were wondering whether this athletic woman has let the memory of a shark attack keep her out of the water, she reportedly jumped right back in the ocean for the "Mission Day" triathlon in October.

(WATCH the video below)

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