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Bethany Hamilton

by Andrea from Dublin

A champion is a hero; heroes have the quality that stands out in front of everything else. They are compassionate and courageous; they have made a difference in life. Heroes are people who persevere through difficult times and are capable of knowing who they are inside. Heroes are humble and are always carrying around pride and a positive attitude. Heroes ARE champions. You don't have to be famous. ANYONE can be a champion; a winner; anytime, any day, today.

My hero is a determined surfer, Bethany Hamilton. Bethany Hamilton was a survivor of a shark attack at age 13, while surfing off Kauai's North Shore. This tragic accident on October 31, 2003 ended with Bethany having an injured left arm. After losing 60% of her blood, Bethany had gone through many surgeries, while her positive attitude never left her side. A month after losing her arm, Bethany had come back to seeking her dream as a top-notch surfer. Roughly around a year later, Bethany was congratulated with a 1st place prize in the Explorer Women's division of the 2005 NSSA National Championships. This was amazingly her first National Title winning.

I think that Bethany Hamilton is a champion. I can believe that on that tragic day, she was probably frightened. Did you ever hear of her complaining and always looking as the glass half empty? No, Bethany stood up proud and tall and moved on with her life, happy and strong. However, do you know what else she did?

Bethany Hamilton was extremely courageous. I'm sure that she was exceptionally worried and her mind was going everywhere, but on the outside, she was brave! Bethany was also known for persevering; not only through that time, but through every difficult time she pushed through! She never gave up.

Bethany was humble, and certainly is now, also. She was optimistic and modest. She was motivated, and it's crazy that she actually came back to being pursuing her dream as a professional surfer!

Bethany is proud of her bravery, and she is always carrying her pride around. She may look different than others, but her compassion and optimism will never change. Bethany Hamilton is, above all, long remembered by her courage.

Page created on 5/29/2013 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 5/29/2013 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.