High School Softball Player Describes Surviving Shark Attack on Spring Break

Caitlyn Taylor, a high school softball player from Kentucky who was attacked by a shark while playing a tournament in Florida, said she's "glad" the incident happened to her instead of a teammate and believes her athletic background helped her survive the scary ordeal.

On Wednesday, Mirin Fader of ESPNW passed along comments from Taylor, who said people in the water originally thought the animal was a dolphin. She described the thoughts running through her head as she fought back after the shark clamped down on her legs:

"

When you play sports, you're constantly going through—not to this extreme—intense pressure situations and I think a lot of people who don't go through those types of situations every day, when they face something that's a little scary—or very scary like this one was—most people would shy away from it or get scared or give up.

"

She added: "I think being an athlete and going through situations like that definitely helped me."

Taylor was rushed to an emergency room in the Destin, Florida, area after successfully fending off the shark, but not before it left serious damage to both legs. Once there, she made an amazing declaration to her parents, according to ESPNW.

"I'm glad it happened to me," Taylor said. "I'm glad it happened to me because I can take it."

The report noted she's already started to resume practicing with the Atherton High School softball team on a limited basis despite receiving around 130 stitches less than a month ago.

While she's been cleared to play games with the use of "protective wraps and padding" over the scars, she's taking the situation day-by-day until completely ready.

Taylor, a high school junior, is a pitcher and shortstop who has an eye on continuing her softball career in college in the coming years.