Bethany Hamilton

Everyone has someone they look up to. Is it because of the way they look? How they conduct themselves? Maybe it is because of their athletic ability, career choice, or education. There is no right answer. The real question that demands an answer is what you think makes a person a hero. Out of the billions of people in the world, each one will have a different answer to this question. Hundreds of variables go into what a person thinks makes a hero. Their response depends on their age, hobbies, religion, moral compass, and more. For example, a little girl might find her father to be her hero because he helped her up after she had fallen off of her bike. However, her brother might find Captain America to be his hero because he is strong and can fight. Those same siblings, in 10 years, will most likely have completely different heroes. The young woman may believe her best friend, who is battling Stage 3 cancer her hero, while her brother chooses to idolize Tiger Woods. There will never be one definitive hero because life is fluid. For me, what constitutes a hero is kindness, mental strength, and perseverance. Bethany Hamilton, a shark attack survivor, possesses all of these traits and constantly displays  them in every aspect of her life.

Bethany Hamilton WrathKindness is an attribute that people can utilize in many different ways. They can use it to pull people together and link them as a group. It also allows people to reach out to one another and help them in a time of need. Bethany Hamilton used her kindness and compassion to teach people that even if you feel like you have been broken, you aren’t and that you should never give up on your dreams, even if they seem impossible. In 2007, friends and family of Bethany Hamilton helped her to start up a nonprofit organization called Friends of Bethany. Through her organization she has hosted retreats, which include building and encouragement exercises for shark attack survivors and amputees. She has also produced and attended many conferences, with the objective of spreading her hope and positivity. Bethany Hamilton has used her kindness and compassion to empower people all over the world. She is constantly reminded of the painful attack that changed her life forever, but she refuses to allow it to hold her back.

Strength can be classified as two different things. A person can be physically strong and/or mentally strong. Some people think that you require both of these attributes to be a hero. However you really only need to possess one. Being mentally strong is a power all heroes must possess. Being able to make the right decisions under stress and pushing forward even when the whole world is against you are examples of being mentally strong. Throughout Bethany Hamilton's recovery she had to remain positively focused on her recovery goals. The shark attack that she was involved in took place when she was only 13 years old. However, even after losing her arm during the attack, she never gave up on her dream of becoming a pro surfer. Only 26 days after the attack she was back in the water. She never backed down or lost faith in herself.

During her recovery there were many that believed she couldn't do it. The training that took place after the attack was long and brutal. In the moment, the idea of ever competing again seemed like a false and almost impossible dream. However, she never gave up. She had the motivation and perseverance to push herself to become strong enough  to compete again. In 2005, only two years after she lost her arm, she won the Explorer Women's position at the 2005 NSSA National Championships. Then in 2007, she began to compete on the pro circuit. Even after competing on the pro circuit no one expected her to become a World Surf League regular. However, she was given a wild-card berth into the league’s fifth event of the year. She advanced to the semi final round where sadly she lost to Johanne Defay, who ended up winning the event. Perseverance is something that sets one person above another. Winners have a goal and they are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish it.

Bethany Hamilton at World Surf League's Fiji Women's Pro Sloane A hero is a person who you define as a role model. The traits they possess and exhibit are important to you. Bethany Hamilton possessed traits that surprised me. Her ability to get up after being knocked down was astonishing to everyone around her. She was fearless and determined, allowing her to become a role model for many people who had experienced the same terrifying attack as her. In the end what really matters is the way one looks up to her. It is important to see her as an amazing and talented surfer. But the true takeaway is that she was able to exercise kindness, mental strength, and perseverance in her everyday life.

Works Cited 

Mather, Victor. “Bethany Hamilton, a Shark-Attack Survivor, Reaches an Unlikely Crest.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 May 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/sports/bethany-hamilton-world-surf-league.html.

Ott, Tim. “Bethany Hamilton.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 16 June 2015,  

www.biography.com/people/bethany-hamilton

“History.” Friends of Bethany Hamilton, 27 Sept. 2007,

https://www.friendsofbethany.com/history/

Warth, Gary. “Sandiegouniontribune.com.” Sandiegouniontribune.com, 14 Aug. 2017, www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/sd-me-bethany-hamilton-20170814-story.html.

Sloane , Ed. Shark Attack Survivor Bethany Hamilton Beats World's Best Surfers in Fiji, Scott Stumper , 31 May 2016, www.today.com/news/shark-attack-survivor-bethany-hamilton-beats-world-s-best-surfers-t95456.