Reviewed by: Mary Helene Hall
Inspirational Alabama teen named 2025 Southerner of the Year
Reading time: 3 minutes
Southern Living has named Mountain Brook native, shark attack survivor, youth advocate and internationally-inspiring teenager Lulu Gribbin the 2025 Southerner of the Year.
Since 2017, Southern Living has highlighted trailblazers who uplift communities, drive positive change and preserve the region’s people, places and traditions.
“We couldn’t be prouder to honor Lulu and share her inspiring story. Her strength, resilience and passion for change embody the spirit of the South and make her the perfect choice for our 2025 Southerner of the Year.”
Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living
Recovery and Lulu’s law
In June 2024, Lulu lost her left hand and right leg in a bull shark attack. Her inspirational story and recovery became national news. After her recovery, she has worked tirelessly to pass Lulu’s Law at the state and federal levels to keep beachgoers safe from shark attacks like hers.
She launched the Lulu Strong Foundation in September 2025, which aims to improve life for amputees. The foundation focuses on closing the tech gap for amputees by raising funds and awareness to accelerate access to and affordability of the tools that facilitated her remarkable recovery through AI-powered prosthetics, VR therapy and other emerging technologies.
“When I found out Southern Living chose me as their 2025 Southerner of the Year, I was speechless. Since my attack, I’ve tried to use my new platform to do what’s right and work to keep other people and their families from sharing my fate.
“The laws, my foundation, the speaking work I do, all of it is in service of the greater good: to improve life for people living with limb differences and to keep others from being attacked by sharks. I’m so grateful for this recognition and hope it inspires people to make a difference in our world, too.”
Lulu Gribbin
The 2025 Southerner of the Year story appears in the December 2025 edition of Southern Living, which is on newsstands now.
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