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Bethany Hamilton

by Savannah from San Diego

Bethany's Family (Noah, Tom, Bethany, Cheri, Tim) (http://annettersmith.hubpages.com/hub/soul-surfer- ())
Bethany's Family (Noah, Tom, Bethany, Cheri, Tim) (http://annettersmith.hubpages.com/hub/soul-surfer- ())

"I don't want easy, just possible" (Bethany Hamilton). This is what I like to call Bethany Hamilton's "motto", so to say. Even though she has faced countless obstacles, Hamilton continues to show strength and many other priceless virtues that only few possess. Hamilton, a Hawaii native born in 1990, began surfing at a young age. While surfing on October 31, 2003, Hamilton was attacked by a shark and lost her left arm. Miraculously, Hamilton relearned to surf three weeks later and continued to share her recovery story around the globe. In the few years to follow, she was featured on many television talk shows, had her story told in magazine and newspaper articles, and even wrote books about her Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. Hamilton is a caring, positive, determined girl who never lost sight of her dreams. Even if she lost the one thing her life was centered around, surfing, she found a way to get it back. Once she accomplished her life goal of becoming a professional surfer, Hamilton wanted to help others achieve their dream. Because she loved giving back to people, Hamilton started inspiring others and even made her own foundation dedicated to helping shark attack survivors and amputees like her. Bethany Hamilton is more than just a surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack. Her determined spirit to never give up and caring heart makes her more than deserving of the title hero.

Bethany Hamilton surfing years after the attack (http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Bethany-Hamilton-Shark ())
Bethany Hamilton surfing years after the attack (http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Bethany-Hamilton-Shark ())

Hamilton had a determined will to follow her dream of being a professional surfer, which made her the perfect role model for young kids striving to achieve their own goals. Hamilton's dream every since she was a young girl was to become a professional surfer, which is hard to achieve goal, let alone having to relearn to surf with only one arm. "I could have never embraced this many people with two arms" (Hamilton, Bethany, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh). By saying this, Hamilton pointed out that she would rather have one arm and be noticed than have two and fit in with everyone else. Being different is something she takes pride in, and having one arm is now part of her personality and who she has become. She also believed that if she still had two arms, no one would notice her. As a result of her injury, she is now able to share her motivational story and inspire other people on a global scale. Even as she held her determined mind and focused on her goals, there were still times of trial that tested her strength throughout her recovery. "There were frustrating times and times of uncertainty," Hamilton said. "But I kept coming back to the basics: Lord, what do you want me to do?" (Bailey, Sarah Pulliam). Instead of focusing on the negative points in her life, Hamilton kept herself going by having the same personality as before and never over thinking how she should get something done. Additionally, Hamilton stayed strong and kept her mind focused on achieving the ultimate goal: becoming a professional surfer. Although she faced many struggles, Bethany kept her spirits high and never let the thought of a challenge scare her away reaching her dream.

Friends of Bethany in Kauai (http://www.friendsofbethany.com/2012/bethany-inspi ())
Friends of Bethany in Kauai (http://www.friendsofbethany.com/2012/bethany-inspi ())

Because she believed so strongly in her faith, Hamilton had a naturally caring heart towards people in need. On top of being naturally caring, Hamilton took initiative and made her own way to give back to society. "Friends of Bethany is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ worldwide by supporting and inspiring people through the life stories of Bethany Hamilton and others" ("Friends of Bethany"). Hamilton started her own foundation, Friends of Bethany, to help shark attack survivors and amputees by sending care and encouragement packages, sharing her own story and supporting them, and even visiting them herself. This organization helps Hamilton give support to many people who went through the same troubles that she went through earlier in her life. Hamilton wants to help other people as much as she can, and she gets support to do it from other organizations. They know she can make an impact on others because people can recognize her as "the girl who lost her arm in a shark attack". "I think that if I can help other people find hope in God, then that is worth losing my arm for." (Hamilton, Bethany, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh). Even though she lost an arm and may need inspiration herself, Hamilton loves to help others so much that she thinks it was meant for her to have gone through the accident. When she lost her arm, it made her more noticed so she had the chance to share her story to the world. Hamilton believes that it is so important to help others that she thinks it was the right thing to lose her arm. If she had both arms and even became an amazing professional surfer, she still wouldn't have been able to send out a positive message on the same scale as she does now. Because of her naturally caring attitude towards others and amazing story of determination, Hamilton was able to use her "fame" to multiply the help that she offered for others in need.

Bethany Hamilton in Thailand after tsunami (http://noahhamilton.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=1 (Jon Warren/World Vision))
Bethany Hamilton in Thailand after tsunami (http://noahhamilton.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=1 (Jon Warren/World Vision))

Bethany Hamilton has not had an easy life, but her attitude and strong-minded will has helped her achieve her own goals and inspire others to achieve their goals too. Hamilton is a great hero because she uses herself as an example to other young adults. She keeps her mind focused on goals but keeps her heart on the lookout for people in need. In addition, she doesn't just help people because it's right, she helps people because she loves to see them smile. Even if she doesn't realize it, Hamilton is an inspiration and role model to many young adults and kids trying to accomplish a goal or reach a dream. By simply doing what she loves and telling her story, Hamilton is a real life example of a dedicated person who is passionate about what they love to do. Personally, she is a role model and hero to me because of her innocent compassion for others, drive to be the best at what she loves to do, and ability to always find the bright side of situations. Whether or not people have a disability, lending a hand to others and staying firm in what you believe in is how everyone should act, no matter who is around them.

Works Cited

Bailey, Sarah Pulliam. "50 Women you should know: we asked key leaders which Christian women are most profoundly shaping the evangelical church and North American society. This is who they picked." Christianity Today Oct. 2012: 22+.Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

"Friends of Bethany." Bethany Hamilton Soul Surfer Professional Surfer Role Model Inspiration Friends of Bethany Comments. Global Media Outreach, 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. .

Hamilton, Bethany, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. New York: Pocket ; MTV, 2004. Print.

Page created on 1/11/2013 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 1/11/2013 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.

Related Links

Friends of Bethany - Bethany Hamilton's foundation
Youtube - Bethany Hamilton's surfing journey
Soul Surfer - Her life changing journey
BethanyHamilton.com - Everything you need to know about Bethany and her journey