Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton: soul surfer, Christian motivational speaker; a survivor who was awarded with an ESPY for comeback athlete of the year. A true hero who never gave up on her dream of being a Professional surfer and living a happy life. Bethany was 5 years old when her parents Tom and Cheri Hamilton taught her how to surf. Since then she did not stopped surfing and entered her first surf competition when she was 8! After finishing sixth grade she began homeschooling to work with her surfing schedule.

About a couple years later on October 31, 2003, Bethany Hamilton was surfing off the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii just like any ordinary day. She was surfing with her best friend Alana Blanchard when her life changed forever. While waiting to take the next wave; Bethany had her left arm off to side of the board when all of a sudden a 14-foot tiger shark bit her arm off just beneath her shoulder. "That's all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightning fast tugs. Then I watched in shock as the water around me turned bright red" (Hamilton).

Luckily Alana's brother Byron, and father Holt were there at the time of the attack; they helped paddle Bethany to the shore. Holt was able to apply pressure to the wound by tying a shirt around it as a tourniquet. While all of this was occurring Bethany was calm; she is a strong believer in God and told herself she was in God's hands. "Somehow, I stayed calm. My left arm was gone almost to the armpit. I remember most clearly what the Kauai paramedic said to me in the ambulance: He spoke softly and held my hand as we were pulling out of the beach parking lot. He whispered in my ear, "God will never leave you or forsake you." He was right" (Hamilton). Bethany soon arrived at the hospital with the loss 60 percent of her blood and several surgeries; she survived and was a living miracle.

Just about a month after her attack she got back in the water and was able to stand up on her third wave! January of 2004, she competed she placed fifth in Open Women's Division of the NSSA Regional Competition. During the year of 2004, Bethany's story was heard across the nation. She appeared on The Early Show, Good Morning America, Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show! She received an award at the 35th Annual Gospel Music Awards, "Courage" at the MTV Teen Choice Awards, and an ESPY "Best Comeback Athlete" from ESPN.

Miss Hamilton did not stop there; she traveled to Thailand in 2005 to help victims of the tsunami disaster and helped the locals to not be afraid of the water. She later took a Mexico Mission trip with her church and wrote her own book called "Devotions for the Soul Surfer". Her story spread worldwide and inspired many people. One of those people happened to be a director. They started production on February 2, 2010 and the movie "Soul Surfer" came out in theaters April 8, 2011. Bethany Hamilton is a true hero for not just surviving the shark attack but believing in herself that she could still be a Professional surfer and live a good life. Where is she today? She still competes and has recently been married. Bethany never gave up living a normal life and since the day of the attack, she has never looked back.