'Everybody's normal is different': Paige Winter reflects on life after losing leg in shark attack
HAVELOCK, N.C. -- In June of 2019, Paige Winter was just 17 years old when she lost her left leg and two of her fingers in a shark attack off the North Carolina coast.
It's been a turbulent and trying year for the young girl, who would normally be starting a life of her own. Instead, she's dealt with the loss of her independence in some respects. Being a teenager in the midst of a global pandemic is hard enough, but Winter has taken the hand she was dealt and is persevering.
"I'm not really able to do all of the things that I used to do," Paige told ABC's Robin Roberts in a special set to air Thursday night. "I'm still Paige-y, just a little different."
WATCH: 'I'm not ready to die': Paige Winter describes surviving shark attack
In a trailer for the special, Paige is seen being announced as a homecoming queen candidate at New Bern High School and undergoing physical therapy. Her struggles are shown as well, but she keeps a good perspective.
"I feel like this is kind of like a triumph for me because people thought I was going to die," Paige said. "But I am not dead. I am indeed very much alive."
Life will probably never resemble anything normal again, but in the age of COVID-19, many have learned the same thing Paige has in recent months.
"Everybody's normal is different," she said.
"Shark Attack: The Paige Winter Story" airs Thursday night at 10 EST on ABC.
WATCH: Paige Winter's father talks about fighting the shark off his daughter
