Bethany Hamilton

"Maybe God did have something bigger planned for me. What we all needed to do was trust... and believe" (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 107). Bethany Hamilton grew up in a very spiritual family and relies on her faith to get her through her obstacles in life. On February 8, 1990 Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born to Cheri and Tom Hamilton in Wilcox Memorial Hospital located in Lihue, Kauai. Her dad grew up in New Jersey and surfed all year round, from the heat of summer to the snow of winter (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 20). Tom's dream was to move to Hawaii so he took a one way trip to Kauai, Hawaii with no money (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 24). Tom met Cheri shortly after moving to Hawaii, and they bonded over a mutual love of surfing. After Cheri and Tom had kids, the first thing they taught their children was how to surf (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 26). Best known for her great surfing ability in the National Scholastic Surfing Association and the Women's Qualifying Series, Hamilton began rising to fame at age thirteen (Speed).  Hamilton was thirteen when she got her left arm bitten off by a 14 foot tiger shark on October 31, 2003. She was surfing a home break, Tunnels, when the shark attack happened. This traumatic event would forever change her life, shaping her into the hero everyone knows. The moment Bethany Hamilton's stitches were out, she was back in the water and on her board ("Bethany Hamilton."). Hamilton committed to getting back into the sport she loved, and did whatever it took. She eventually made it back into competitive surfing and still surfs competitively today. Throughout her shocking experience and the time following, Hamilton stayed brave through all of the inconsistencies. She remained positive, and only focused on the things she could improve, thus becoming an inspiration for other disadvantaged children. Taking it upon herself, Hamilton aided as many people as she could, while dealing with her own day to day challenges. After her trauma, Bethany Hamilton became a hero to the world with her courage, optimism and huge heart while caring for others in need.

Bethany Hamilton utilized her courage to advance herself in the world of competitive surfing. Following her accident, "Hamilton began surfing again about three weeks later, and competed for the first time in early 2004" ("Bethany Hamilton."). The average person would horrified to go back in the water after such a frightening event, but Hamilton when back as soon as she could. This is pure courage. This fearless young woman used her love for surfing and her desire to be successful in the surfing world to push aside the fear of another attack. Early this year, Bethany Hamilton surfed a big wave break in Maui called Jaws, best known for its forty foot waves. Dennis "DK" Walsh, her jet-ski diver and safety captain, describes the Jaws experience by stating, "When you wipeout at Jaws, it feels like being trapped in an underwater tornado or a giant washing machine. You get pushed down really deep and, after 45 seconds, may experience a blackout" (Stanger). Hamilton has continued surfing after her attack and still pushes the limits of female big wave riding by battling against Jaws. On top of this, she only has one arm which limits her swimming ability and makes this a much more dangerous feat. Despite the dangers of returning to surfing, Hamilton courageously risks her life to follow her passion. Along with her ability to put forth immense bravery and push the limits with one arm, Hamilton is also able to put a positive spin on all of the negativity in her life.

Hamilton's optimism for her situation let her to see the positives, which ultimately led her to be content with her journey through life. In an interview after the shark attack, Hamilton explains how she stayed positive after having her life changed. She stated, "I focused on the things that were really important to me at that time--my faith in Jesus Christ, my family, being grateful that I was still alive and that I could survive such a traumatic event" (Speed). Hamilton found her optimism through the things that remained the same in her life after the accident. After such a traumatic event at such a young age, most individuals would have been devastated and depressed. Instead, Hamilton channeled her optimism towards things that she could change. In an interview with ABC News, Hamilton explained her key to success after the incident. She vocalized, "I think that I should just have a positive attitude toward things and the challenges coming up and if I have a bad attitude, then it's not really gonna make it anything better'' (Lee). Bethany Hamilton is the definition of optimistic. After the attack took much of her surfing career away, she came back with even more vigor. She maintained focus on how she would conquer her upcoming challenges, knowing that having a positive attitude would make all the difference towards a successful life. Leading by example, Bethany Hamilton spread that positivity towards those around her. Despite her shortcomings, she has remained optimistic and excited for her future of helping individuals in need.

Hamilton has always valued others before herself and cared for those in need. When Hamilton got an email from a lady about a child, Logan, who lost his arm and felt very down about it, she decided she had to help somehow. He was also very athletic, with a bright future ahead of him in wakeboarding. Hamilton phoned him and empathized, "Look, I  know you may not feel great right now. I've been there. But I know that you can do a whole lot of stuff, too. You can and you will. Okay?... Keep in touch let me know what you are up to, Okay?" (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 142). Despite the fact that she did not need to call the child, Hamilton went out of her way and reached out anyways to cheer him up. She hoped to inspire him to get back on his wakeboard. This illustrates how much Hamilton cares for others that are hurting or experiencing similar scenarios to her own. Hamilton overcame huge hardships and felt the need to share how she did it with others. She met with a blind psychologist, Dr Paul, and felt sorry that people had raised so much money for her yet had done nothing for him. Hamilton came up with a way to help and commiserated, "I want you to use some of the money people are giving me to pay for your operation. I want you to see!" (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 116). At her session, it dawned on her that while she could never get her arm back, he could get his sight back. She decided to give him some of the money donated to her so he get a sight repairment surgery. Dr. Paul's vision was more important than Hamilton's arm because a lack of eyesight would affect his life much more than Hamilton's arm would ever affect hers. She ultimately changed her situation from one of seeking help to one of offering help. Hamilton has a huge heart and cares more about others than herself. Her ability to go beyond herself at such a young age is an inspiration to many.

Bethany Hamilton possesses the qualities of bravery, positivity, and compassion, making her an inspiration to people world wide. Hamilton overcame many different hardships and challenges in her life. At some of the darkest times, she somehow remained optimistic towards the future. The fact that she went back into water showed true courage. Taking it a step further, she pushes the limits of female surfing and excels. After people saw her incredible story, they started asking Hamilton for help with their own daily challenges. Even though she didn't need to, Hamilton responded with all the love and encouragement she could. While many people experience great devastation in their life, Hamilton's story is different. She turned her shortcomings into positives and "stopped being the shark attack survivor and started being the inspiration" (Speed). At first, people just knew Bethany Hamilton for her horrible shark attack. Then after her fame grew, people saw her inspirational traits of courage, optimism, and compassion. People are inspired by her admirable response to an event that arguably ruined her life. As Hamilton states, "To constantly dwell on what might happen would totally suck the joy out of the sport... What if you get hit in the head with a baseball, a puck, or a golf ball?... Life is full of what-ifs. You can't let it hold you back" (Hamilton, Sheryl, and Rick 123). Hamilton champions the idea that one cannot enjoy life without taking some risks. Many people fail to go after their dreams because they are too worried about the what-if's. Hamilton is a true hero, flawlessly overcoming her trepidation after a life altering shark attack.

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