Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Meilani Hamilton-Dirksis an American professional surfer who survived a 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off, but ultimately returned to—and was victorious in—professional surfing. She wrote about her experience in the 2004 autobiography Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. In April 2011, the feature film Soul Surfer was released ...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSurfer
Date of Birth8 February 1990
CityLihue, HI
CountryUnited States of America
I'm actually not star-struck. I like to give people their own space and admire them from a distance.
I can't change it, That was God's plan for my life and I'm going to go with it.
My strength came from my relationship with Christ and from the love and encouragement of my family and friends.
Compassion can drive us to do amazing things and give us perspective.
Surfing for me is more than my lifestyle; it’s my passion, my love and it’s a part of me,
Learning how to deal with people and their reactions to my life is one of the most challenging things... people staring at me, people asking rude questions, dealing with media, stuff like that.
Being out there in the ocean, God's creation, it's like a gift He has given us to enjoy,
Like, with one arm I know I can surf, but competitive surfing can be really frustrating, and sometimes you don't do as well as you want to. It can be discouraging at times. But whenever I do get frustrated, I just focus on God.
When I was about five, I gave my heart to Jesus Christ, and since then it's just been a stronghold in my life. Really, through the shark attack and all the hard times that my family and I went through, it gave us unity and perseverance to push through all this crazy stuff that we never knew was going to happen.
Love is bigger than any tidal wave or fear.
My belief is where I get my strength. When I'm struggling with something, I can go to God for help and I'm excited to share that.
The end...is just the beginning
Strive to find things to be thankful for and just look for the good in who you are!
I gave my heart to Jesus when I was five-years-old and since then it's been a special relationship. To me it's not a religion; it's just talking to God, reading his word, and doing my best to honor him in everything I do.