Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton ( ())

My hero is Bethany Hamilton. She is a surfer whose arm got bitten off by a 14-foot tiger shark, while surfing on Kauai's North Shore Beach. Bethany Hamilton was only thirteen. After only a month she started surfing again. Her survival was amazing. She had gotten many surgeries and lost 60% of her blood. Bethany Hamilton was born February 8, 1990. Her parents are Thomas and Cherilyn Hamilton. She has two older brothers, Noah and Timothy.

I first heard of Bethany Hamilton in 5th grade. I remember one of my classmates doing a report on her. Last year, in 6th grade was when I paid closer attention to what she has accomplished. During religion class, Mrs. McGee brought the book "Soul Surfer." That was when I realized that Bethany Hamilton is strong, has courage, and faith. She believes in Jesus Christ and says He was how she accomplished so much.

Bethany's biggest accomplishment was overcoming her disability, but she has gotten many awards also. Such as: The Honolulu Citizens Award, The Free Spirit Award, Courage Award, Comeback Athlete of the Year Award, and many more.

Bethany Hamilton has written books and has published some articles in magazines. She is very involved in the church community. She guest stars on many TV shows and has been interviewed many times. It seems as though everyone wants her. Her acts of courage and faith are amazing. Bethany Hamilton is inspiring. She lost her arm and still surfed. She pushed herself to do something that would have or could have been impossible to do. "I don't need many awards or need to be on TV shows. As long as I fulfill my duty that God has sent me, I will be happy," says Bethany.

Bethany Hamilton started to surf at the age of four. She entered her first competition when she was eight. At a young age her passion was for surfing. When her arm got bitten off she wasn't afraid of the water but not being able to surf again. Her shark attack happened at thirteen and she became a pro in 2007 and still surfs today. Bethany Hamilton grew up in Kauai, Hawaii. She came from a family that surfed and was very competitive since she was little.

Bethany Hamilton is currently twenty. Bethany never had bigger problems than losing her arm. She tried her best to stay calm and her instincts told her not to panic. She says, "I only felt pressure when the shark bit me. During, the recovery it hurt. The only way I got over this was the idea of not surfing. That really scared me." She tried her best to turn this negative into a positive. Her family supported her every day and from her family's and God's love she overcame her disability. I think it's amazing how, after a month, she got back on her board and started training for her competition. Bethany is good in the heart and has an unbelievable amount of strength and courage. Her friends and family have never heard of surfing with one arm but Bethany has shown everyone that it is possible.

Bethany Hamilton is my hero because she has shown me to turn negatives into positives. I am still amazed at how she turned her negative into a positive. I would have given up everything. She's also taught me that if you try your best, anything is possible. Her trust in God was really what helped her and I believe if I have more faith and trust in God, I can overcome obstacles that will come to me in life. I want to be exactly like her. I want to have courage to do something that everyone thinks is impossible to do. Bethany Hamilton is my role model. Even though I won't get awards and accomplishments as big as hers, I still want to believe that if I try my best I can acquire the life-skills she has.