Bethany Hamilton is a pro surfer whose story of toughness, recovery, faith, and adaptation to adversity will inspire anyone. When Bethany was only 13 years old surfing near Kauai, a Tiger Shark attacked her and severed her left arm completely. She lost more than 50 percent of her total blood volume. Bethany nearly died, but was back riding the waves only one month later.
After the attack Bethany made the rounds of talk TV and in 2004 was awarded the ESPY for for “best comeback athlete” and a Teen Choice “Courage award.” Bethany got back to her board as soon as she could, with some modifications. Surfing one handed increases the difficulty of maneuvering into position to drop into a wave greatly, but Bethany has placed in the top echelon of pro surfing competitions when she has been able to compete. Her last podium against world-class talent was the Fiji Women’s Pro competition where she took third.
Besides her actual surfing, Bethany has spend much of her time and energy on her faith and using her story to inspire people. She has made appearances in reality shows like “The Amazing Race” where she and her husband took third place. Her 2004 book Soul Surfer was made into a major picture starring Helen Hunt, and just this year she debuted her own documentary Unstoppable at the Tribeca film festival to positive reviews. Even though she is a top athlete, Bethany’s family is a major priority. She has given birth to two children over the course of her surfing career while balancing major competitions and a deep commitment to her family and faith.
