Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton surfing in Kauai. (http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/survival-4.jpg)

Christopher Reeve once said, “I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” (quoted. in Moncur). My hero, Bethany Hamilton, not only meets Christopher Reeve’s standards but also exceeds them by demonstrating extreme faith in God and inspiring others to overcome their obstacles as well. Hamilton is an amazing girl who was destined to surf, but her career as a professional surfer was endangered by a sudden, life-threatening event.

Bethany Hamilton surfing after the shark attack. (http://www.ockhamstyle.com/sv/women/BethanyHamilton.jpg)

Bethany Hamilton was born on February 8th, 1990 in Kauai, Hawaii. She has two brothers, Noah, eight years older than her, and Tim, three years older than her. Her brothers, along with the rest of her family have given her the much-needed help throughout the past few years. On October 31st, 2003, when Hamilton was only thirteen years old, she was attacked by a fourteen-foot tiger shark. At the time, she was surfing off the North Shore of Kauai with her friend Alana, Alana’s father, Holt, and Alana’s brother, Byron. She was lying on her board with her arms in the water when a shark came up from underneath her and chomped off her left arm. With the help of the others she was with, she swam the quarter mile to shore ("The surfer girl's faith"). Her friend’s dad then tied a surfboard leash around her arm as a tourniquet and ultimately saved her life. She was rushed to the hospital and immediately had surgery to clean the wound. She also went through another surgery to cover the wound with a flap of skin and, surprisingly, the doctors released her from the hospital only eight days after the attack. She now has an autobiography that was published in 2004 and a movie about her life began filming and will soon be released. Hamilton has won many awards for her surfing including ranking fifth in August 2004 at the open Women’s Division of the Hawaii NSSA circuit. Bethany Hamilton is not only an amazing surfer, but also a well-respected heroine.

One of Bethany Hamilton’s most heroic qualities is her ability to stay strong in her faith and continue to trust in God when it would be easier to turn her back from him and walk away. When asked if she is still scared of sharks, she confesses “‘Sometimes my heart pounds when I see a shadow under the water. Yet I know God is watching out for me’”(Hamilton and Berk) Bethany Hamilton is such a strong Christian and knows and trusts that God will always be there for her. She understands that whatever happens to her is God’s will. She lays all her worries and concerns in his hands and knows He will take care of it. While talking about the attack with Free Press, in one of her interviews, she said, “‘I can't change it… That was God's plan, and I'm going to go with it’” (Bethany Hamilton in The Surfer Girl’s Faith). Once again, this shows the strong faith that Bethany possesses. She knows that what happened to her was all part of God’s plan and that there is a reason for everything. Bethany later told her friend she is glad the attack occurred because “'Now I can tell the whole world about God’” (Bethany in The Surfer Girl’s faith). Hamilton is so positive and believes that if something bad happens, God will bring something good out of it. In this case, Bethany Hamilton is now able to spread God’s word and help many people. In the end, Hamilton shows how she maintains her strong faith throughout her life-changing experience.

Bethany Hamilton in a wave. (http://www.bethestaryouare.com/images/bethany_hamilton.jpg)

Bethany Hamilton’s persistence, despite odds against her, is a characteristic that proves her to be a true hero. Just three weeks after the attack, on Thanksgiving in 2003, Hamilton was ready to get back in the water (McGarr). This reveals Bethany Hamilton’s perseverance, a rare quality that, according to Christopher Reeve, is found in all heroes. About five years after the attack, in January 2009, Bethany Hamilton got second place at the World Junior Championships with only one arm! Within that month, she went on to be ranked 20th in the world. This shows true determination, because Hamilton stayed strong and continued to do what she loved even though it was not easy. All in all, Hamilton persevered to start surfing again and worked hard to get herself back into the shape she had been in before the attack.

Bethany Hamilton with surfboard. (http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2010/01/11/1225817/912585-dtstory-bethany-hamilton.jpg)

Bethany Hamilton is an inspiration to many people and therefore deserves the title hero. After the attack, “During one competition, officials offered Bethany more time to paddle into a wave. She refused”(Mason). This is inspiring, because she does not want anyone to feel bad for her. She does not want to be treated different from anyone else, but as an equal. She knows in her heart, that she can do anything people with two arms can do, she just has to do it a little differently. Unlike other celebrities, “She'd rather be surfing near her family's Kauai home or riding her horse Coco than conducting interviews”(Hang Loose). This shows that she does not get caught up in the fame, the cameras, and the paparazzi. Instead, she is humble and does not use her circumstances to exalt herself. In June 2004, Logan Aldridge and Bethany Hamilton met. Aldridge, like Bethany Hamilton, has a missing left arm due to a boat propeller accident and before losing his arm, was also very athletic. “‘Hanging out helped both of us,’ she [Hamilton] says. ‘We inspired each other.’ Motivated by her example, Logan now plays golf and lacrosse as well as wakeboarding. ‘Realizing what Bethany has done,’ he [Aldridge] says, ‘I started to focus on what I could do’” (Hamilton and Aldridge quoted in "Bethany's New Buddy"). As you can see, Hamilton has inspired others who are in the same situation as her to continue doing what they love and to never let anything stand in their way. These qualities are an inspiration not only to me, but also to the thousands of people all over the world who hear her story and notice how humble and positive this young girl was and continues to be to this day.

Bethany Hamilton is a hero, because she inspires many people to reach for their dreams. Also, she perseveres to accomplish her own dreams and stays true to herself by remaining a strong Christian. Even with a huge disadvantage, Bethany Hamilton was determined to work hard to remain a professional surfer no matter what it called for. She would just have to work a little harder, practice a little longer, and sweat a little more than the other competitors. The tiger shark that had attacked her had already taken her arm; she was not going to let it take her passion for surfing and her ability to surf away too. She also kept the positive mind set that God has a plan for her life and a reason for everything. Hamilton, a humble human being, likes to think of herself as equal to all others whether they have one arm, two arms, or no arms at all. Bethany Hamilton is my hero.