BETHANY HAMILTON

Bethany Hamiton surfing (http://kids.aol.com)

On Halloween morning 2003 Bethany Hamilton and her best friend decided to catch a few waves of the cost of Hawaii. They got the scare of their young lives. While Bethany was waiting for the next wave, she had her arm dangling over her surf board into the water. A few seconds later, there was a flash of gray and a few tugs and pulls was all it took for a 14 foot tiger shark to bite off Bethany's right arm. Bethany managed to stay calm and swim to shore. She said, "It's funny, you think having your arm bitten off would really hurt. But there was no pain at the time." Once she paddled to shore, her friends wrapped a t-shirt of what was left of her arm and waited for help to arrive.

Bethany Hamiton celebrating her 14th bithday (talbronstein.org)

Bethany always had a dream to become a surfer. At the age of 13 right before the attack she was ranked 8th in the world for amateur surfers. Many thought that after that tragic experience, Bethany would be afraid to even set foot in the water again. But as soon as the doctors cleared her, Bethany was on a board. She states now that she has to kick a a lot harder to make up for the loss of her arm but she still loves surfing just as much as ever.

Since the attack, Bethany has won three surfing contests and the 2004 ESPN Award for Best Comeback Athlete. Bethany turned her negative situation into a positive, which is a very hard thing to do. She is now world renowned and uses her popularity in a helpful positive way, because of this she is a role model to many people.

Bethany Surfing (www.room111heroes.com)

My is hero Bethany Hamilton. She inspired me to work hard and dream big. Bethany knew her dream was to become a professional surfer. After the attack she had to work hard to overcome the loss of her arm, and to become a better surfer. Many people can learn from Bethany's example. It is always easier to just quit and give up. But it takes guts to keep trying.

Bethany not only saved her life, but she also never gave up on her dream . She is an amazing girl. I hope that I am never in a situation like hers, but if I ever am, I hope I can handle it like she did. She turned her life around and is still surfing today. She never gave up and that is why she is my hero.