Bethany Hamilton, soul surfer
Bethany Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990 on Kauai Island,
Hawaii. She began surfing at a very young age, and that was when she decided
she wanted to be a professional surfer. Bethany competed in her first
competition when she was 8 and continued after that. Bethany loved surfing
and she wasn’t going to let anyone or anything get in the way of it until an
unexpected tragedy happened.
On October 31st of 2003 Bethany woke up on a normal Halloween
morning. Bethany went with a friend to surf off the north Shore of Kauai
Island when suddenly she felt a tugging on her arm. Bethany didn’t know what
it was at first until she looks at her bleeding arm to find it had been bitten off
by a shark. The friends father quickly had Bethany rushed to Wilcox Memorial
Hospital where she was immediately treated. Bethany lost 60% of her blood
and still survived. They later discovered the shark that attacked Bethany was a
14 foot tiger shark that they found and killed.
Bethany’s story has been told everywhere and she is now known as a hero. Bethany is a hero
because of her strength, and courage. She got back on her surfboard after a severe injury. She had to
relearn her strategies and her technique just to stay on her surfboard; she had to rebuild her strength.
Bethany was courageous and got back in the water again knowing that she could possibly be attached
again.
Bethany inspired people. She taught them to never give up on their dream. If something means
the world to you fight for it. If anything gets in the way work around it. If everyone is giving 100%, Give
110%. She taught to give you’re everything. Bethany is now a pro surfer, surfing with one arm after she
had been attacked by a shark. Bethany always said “I don’t need easy, I just need possible”. This saying
told the world that if you really want something, never give up because anything is possible.
