Bethany Hamilton
by Lauren from San Diego
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"That's all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightning-fast tugs. I couldn't make out any of the details, but I knew that the huge jaws of a fifteen foot tiger shark covered the top of my board and my left arm" (Hamilton, Bundschuh, Berk, 3-4). On what seems like a normal October morning of surfing, Bethany Hamilton experiences a shark attack while she is laying on her surfboard waiting for a wave. "Bethany Hamilton was a 13-year-old surfer, and one of the best amateurs in the United States," ("Bethany Hamilton"). "On October 31, 2003, while surfing at Tunnels Reef near Hanalei, Hawaii, Hamilton's life changed forever. She was surfing with several people, including best friend and fellow champion Alana Blanchard, when what was believed to be a tiger shark bit off her left arm just below her shoulder as she was paddling along" ("Bethany Hamilton"). This attack becomes the key event that will later define her as a hero. With determination, Bethany Hamilton works hard to return to professional surfing, and her tenacity inspires many people around the world. To me, a hero can be an ordinary person, but they display extraordinary characteristics during a time of great need, like Bethany Hamilton does. A hero is someone that is courageous, meaning not deterred by danger or pain, is compassionate, which is defined by the dictionary as someone who is sympathetic and concerned for the sufferings or misfortunes of others, and lastly, a hero is charismatic, someone who exercises a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others. Bethany Hamilton is a courageous, compassionate, and charismatic person who never gives up on her dreams, no matter what tribulations she faces.
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| (www.soulsurfer.com ()) |
Bethany Hamilton is a hero because she possesses the courage to continue her surfing career even after her harrowing experience with the tiger shark. This event does not prevent her from fulfilling her dream and continuing her passion to surf. "'When I first returned to surfing, I was very afraid of sharks,' says Hamilton. 'The attack that happened to me was such a rare occurrence, but I still thought about it. So to fight that fear I would just get in the water and focus on catching the waves. I refused to dwell on 'what-ifs'" ("No Fear"). Bethany Hamilton shows courage by facing her fears even though it is not an easy task. Bethany Hamilton has the courage to get back out on the waves and not let any "what-ifs" serve as inhibitions to fulfilling her passion. Bethany Hamilton does not let the fear of not being able to surf again stop her from getting back into the water and figuring out how to balance on a board and surf with one arm. "So within a week she made two promises to herself. She would never wallow or walk around moaning "Woe is me," and she would get back on her surfboard. She kept that second promise just 26 days after the accident" ("No Fear"). Bethany Hamilton has some struggles getting back in the water but she does indulge her fears. She also does not pity herself as she faces many failed attempts to relearn her skills. Bethany Hamilton inspires people to never give up hope and to follow their dreams no matter how hard the obstacles are. 
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| (sloblogs.thetribunenews.com ()) |
Bethany Hamilton is a compassionate young woman who cares about encouraging others to live victoriously beyond their suffering and misfortune. In her book Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton tells the story of an eighth grade boy who loses his arm. He is very discouraged that he cannot continue in his sport of wake boarding, and Bethany Hamilton calls him to lift his spirits and comfort him. She says, "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 will. Okay?" (Hamilton). Bethany Hamilton's compassion for people's hardships shows in her desire to reach them during a trial and to be an inspiration for them to push forward toward their goals. Her concern for this boy lifts his spirits and it lifts hers as well because she realizes that she has a mission to carry out, a mission to help and encourage people who are discouraged with their life. Fame followed Bethany Hamilton after the shark attack through media interviews, her book and a movie based on her book. She also received many letters and emails from her fans. "As she found her way back to surfing, she was flooded with letters thanking her for being an inspiration. She realized her purpose was greater than just being an elite surfer. Now she uses her fame and fortune to help children with disabilities that live in poverty get the care they need. She also sponsors her own organization for amputees in the U.S. and gives motivational speeches around the world" (Lewis). Bethany Hamilton remains a humble person even though she receives a lot of attention and money from the media. Her life is driven by compassion and she uses her resources to meet the needs of those who cannot afford to help themselves or those who need the support and compassion of someone who has gone through a crisis and emerged victoriously. Bethany Hamilton is truly a hero to many people who are inspired and touched by her concern and compassion.
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| (www.klove.com ()) |
Bethany Hamilton is a hero because her charismatic personality inspires people to have faith in themselves and to persevere through hardships. Some people may think of a charismatic person as being outspoken and outgoing, but Bethany Hamilton's quiet and devoted charm is what compels people to listen to her and believe the encouraging message that she delivers. "Even though Bethany spends much of her time surfing, she's also busy telling her story.She's also chatted with Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey and written a book about the challenges of getting back on her surfboard after the shark attack. Bethany continues to inspire those who hear her story of bravery and triumph" (Paul). After suffering her shark attack, Bethany Hamilton keeps her spirits high and she has a positive outlook on life because she believes that God has a plan for her and that everything will work out for her. People are drawn to her confident optimism and are inspired by her faith and her success. Bethany Hamilton has some thoughts on how she wants people to view her, "Despite the shark attack, Hamilton maintained a positive outlook. Her agent/manager, Roy Hofstetter, told Duncan Campbell of Observer Sports Magazine, '"The main purpose is ... to use her own experience to help others. She wants to talk about women surfing and about her faith. She does not want to be called brave or a heroine or anything, she just wants to be natural with people around the world"' ("Bethany Hamilton"). Part of Bethany Hamilton's charisma is her humbleness. She is approachable and without charade and this attracts people to learn about her story and learn perseverance from her example. While she would like to keep the attention on helping people, and does not wish to be called a hero, Bethany Hamilton is in fact a hero who is unpretentious. One only needs to look at the thousands of people who are inspired by Bethany Hamilton to see that she is charismatic.
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| (myhero.com ()) |
Bethany Hamilton is a hero because she possesses characteristics that inspire and help people. She is courageous, compassionate and charismatic. When she experiences having her left arm bitten off by a tiger shark, she displays courage to get back in the water as soon as possible and learn how to surf again. She uses her trial and experiences to show compassion to other people who are going through similar difficulties. Although fame has come through her experience, she humbly continues to reach out to people around the world and offer her help to them. It is this quality of humility that makes her a person that people are drawn to. Bethany Hamilton inspires me because she has strength of character and an unwavering faith in God. She has a positive attitude and is selfless toward other people to help them overcome their trials. I have had the opportunity to hear Bethany Hamilton speak in person. Her messages are from her heart and her desire is to encourage people to pursue their passions in spite of adversity. The reason I chose Bethany Hamilton as my hero is because she is courageous, compassionate, and charismatic. She inspires me to trust in God, to never give up on my dreams, and to be the best that I can be.Works Cited
"Bethany Hamilton." Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Biography in Context.
Web. 2 May 2016
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, 2004. Print.
LEWIS, KRISTIN. "Shark Attack Survivor." Scholastic Scope 59.15 (2011): 4-9. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 18 May 2016.
"Never Mind the Sharks: Surfing's In Her 'Soul'." Weekend Edition Sunday 10 Apr. 2011.
Biography in Context. Web. 4 May 2016.
"No Fear: Bethany Hamilton on Finding Your Courage." Experience Life. Ed. Laine Bergeson. N.p., 01 May 2013. Web. 06
May 2016.
Paul, Taylor. "Bethany Hamilton 21 years old: Hanalei, Kauai." Surfing July 2011: 62. Biography in Context. Web. 17 May 2016.
Page created on 5/18/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 5/18/2016 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.
