Bethany Hamilton

Bethany SurfingWikipedia Bethany Hamilton is one of the most impressive surfers in my eyes. She absolutely loved to surf in her beautiful home community in Hawaii. When she was 15, her arm was bitten off in a tragic surfing accident. After that, her entire world was different. Simple tasks where difficult, let alone being able to surf. Her loving family along with the community was very supportive of her. She grew up in church and loved to give back. To get through the hard times and back to surfing just twenty six days after getting her arm bitten off, she believed in god above all else. Her faith, determination and strength is what makes Bethany Hamilton a Hero.

Bethany’s faith help her get to the point of winning multiple championships and even just back onto a board. "I definitely rely on my faith in God and just be like 'hey God I don't know why I lost my arm but I'm going to trust you and know that good can come from this situation’” (Hamilton). She shows people that even when something bad happens there is no reason to quit. Everyone can have their own reason, but Bethany’s is through religion. Her faith is what made her think anything is possible, which allowed her to achieve many goals in her life.

Along with faith, Bethany had incredible determination. "This is what I dreamed of, and the loss of my arm didn't stop that dream” (Hamilton). Not letting anything stop her was an incredible thing to see. Her determination allowed her to reach her goals. Without having dreams and determination, she could have never stepped on a board again. Once again her determination allowed her to believe that anything is possible.

One of the last out of many characteristics that makes Bethany a hero is her strength. The mental strength it takes to get back on a board and forget about her newfound fear of sharks had to be a lot. Also there were people around her, looking in on her life, thinking that she couldn’t do it. Staying with surfing even though it was difficult shows that she had strength that could not be stopped by anyone.

Bethany’s faith, determination, and strength are just a few traits that make her a hero. She has shown the world that anything is possible if you truly love something and don’t ever give up. Anything you want in life can happen if the work is put in, and that is what Bethany Hamilton represents and that is why she is a hero, to show people you can do anything. She also has brought her experience to others to help them achieve what they dream to do, which is one of the most noble things to do.

“Soul Surfer, Professional Surfer, Role Model, Inspiration.” Bethany Hamilton, https://bethanyhamilton.com/.

Hill, Graham. “She Lost Her Arm in a Shark Attack, but Surfer Bethany Hamilton Is Living 'an Unstoppable Life'.” CNN, Cable News Network, 25 Oct. 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/25/sport/bethany-hamilton-surfing-spt-intl/index.html.

Ott, Tim. “Bethany Hamilton.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 13 Apr. 2019, https://www.biography.com/athlete/bethany-hamilton.