Bethany Hamilton

“People I don’t even know come up to me. I guess they see me as a symbol of courage and inspiration. One thing hasn’t changed—and that’s how I feel when I’m riding a wave. It’s like, here I am. I’m still here. It’s still me and my board—in God’s ocean!”

Prologue:

Surfing is not a well recognized sport and is considered a hobby by the general public in most countries today. And 21-year olds are usually not well-respected and known outside of Hollywood and the music scene.  Bethany Hamilton is the rare exception to this rule. She has inspired countless lives and been recognized as a true hero of the faith.  Her life story is still just beginning, but there’s much that can be taken away from it. Her story is a story of overcoming the odds, facing her fears, and an unshakable faith in God. For a more complete story, read her autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board or watch the movie inspired by her story, Soul Surfer in theaters. Now let’s dive in and go deeper into Bethany’s story!

Her Story:

 Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990 to the proud parents of Thomas and Cherilyn Hamilton. Being raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii and her parents being surfers; naturally Bethany loved to spend time at the beach riding the waves. Around the age of 5, she came to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior and grew in her faith. She comments on her faith as a child with this:

“I believe in God. Nobody made me believe; I don’t think you can or should try to force someone to believe something. And even though my parents taught me stuff about God and read Bible stories to me from as early as I can remember… it was my choice to become a believer in Him. The way I see it, putting our faith in God is something that each person has to come to on his or her own. It’s your own personal relationship with Him; a bond that’s as unique as a fingerprint.”  

 By the early age of 8, she was competing in surfing contests and loved taking on the big, intimating waves. She entered her first state-wide surf competition and won both the short and long board divisions.  By the age of 11, she began competing towards becoming a professional surfer. Her As she turned 13, she would go on to be the runner up at the 2003 US National Championships for surfing. Her childhood to that point was very ordinary and normal.  Her dream seemed well within reach. Then Halloween 2003 came…  

Turning Point:

October 31, 2003, started off like any other day for Bethany. She woke up early and went off to Tunnels Beach in Kauai with her friend, Alana Blanchard, and Alana’s father and brother. About 7:30 a.m. she was out on her surfboard with her left arm dangling in the water. Here’s what happened next in her own words:

“That’s all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightning fast tugs. Then I watched in shock as the water around me turned bright red. Somehow, I stayed calm. My left arm was gone almost to the armpit, along with a huge crescent-shaped chunk of my red, white and blue surfboard…”

A 14-foot tiger shark had attacked her ripping her left off just below her shoulder. The attack would have been fatal if the shark had bitten two inches further in. She lost 60% of her blood and was helped to shore by her friends. They used a surfboard leash around what was left of her left arm to compress the blood from leaving her body. Several surgeries and seven days later, she was on her way to recovery, but her dream as a professional surfer seemed lost forever. But, it wasn’t. All it took was one month and she miraculously was back in the water despite all the obstacles that towered over her. She would go on to say about that day:

“My plans to be a professional surfer got hit pretty hard on that Halloween morning. It was my own personal tsunami. In the days, weeks, and months that followed I had a lot of cleaning up to do. Often, it was scary or trying. And I won’t lie to you: in some ways it still is. I’ve worked really hard to become a pro surfer, and am now competing with the best women surfers in the world.”  

As Bethany’s story started to more well known among her peers and the general public, it began making national and even international news. Newspapers, magazines, news shows, talk shows all began featuring her story and spreading the word about her amazing recovery.

Her Story Part 2:

As her fear and anxiety began to recede, she adopted a new custom-made board that was longer and slightly thicker making it easier to paddle. This made is easier to surf due to the loss of her left arm. Through the following months she began teaching herself to surf with one arm and soon after entered competitions again.

During the 2004 ESPY Awards she was given the Award for the Best Comeback Athlete and shortly after was presented with a special Courage Award at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards.  Less than one year from the date of the shark attack, she released  a short autobiography of her life titled: Soul Surfer. Still she had relapses of fear of the shark attack. She would pray or sing a song to help her relax when fear would creep in her mind.

Just two months after the horrifying incident, in January 2004, Bethany placed fifth in the Open Women’s division of surfing. She kept entering competition month after month and just after a year from the attack, she took first place in the Explorer Women’s division of the 2005 National Scholastic Surfing Association National Championships and won her first National Title, a dream that she set out to reach from an early age! Her biggest dream to turn pro was finally realized in 2007. Hamilton began competing full-time in the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). In just her first competition against many of the world’s best women surfers, she finished in 2nd place in 2009. Since she turned pro she has traveled throughout the world throughout Europe, South America, South Africa, Indonesia, Australia, Tahiti, Fiji, and the United States.  

On April 8 of this year(2011) a documentary feature film titled, Soul Surfer, which was based on her autobiography and her recollections was released in theaters. The movies features many well known actors and actresses including Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Craig T. Nelson, Carrie Underwood(country singer), and AnnaSophia Robb who played Bethany. The surfing stunts her performed by Hamilton herself in the film. The film not only is a powerful drama of the events that unfolded during and after the shark attack, but it also portrays Bethany’s faith in Christ vividly. Bethany comments on the movie with:

“I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s kind of nerve-racking when you combine a true story with a Hollywood twist because you never know how it will turn out. My family and I had a lot of say in what went into the movie and it turned out very well, and we are really excited. It tells of the struggles that me and my family went through after the attack and the passion we have for both surfing and God.”

Also the movies shows how much her family played in her comeback rebuilding her strength through vigorous weight training and long runs on the beach. Her father, played by Dennis Quaid, also is shown as a key figure in helping her overcome her obstacles.  Her mother, played by Helen Hunt, had reservations about her return to competitive surfing and didn’t want to set her up for failure. She couldn’t bring herself to go to her first comeback competition  in January of 2004. After Bethany won fifth place, she shifted gears and supported her decision to surf.

Today at the young age of 21, Bethany has climbed to one of the top 25 surfers in the world. Through it all, she has remained humble and outspoken about her faith in Jesus Christ. She uses her story to inspire people and to introduce the gospel to them.  She always wants to make it clear what the meaning behind her story is:

“I know I have something important to say. Something that people need to hear—but sometimes they get so caught up in the story part, that they miss the meaning.”

The message is clear: never give up on your dream. There is nothing to fear with God on your side. The word, “impossible” shouldn’t be part of your vocabulary.  We all are faced with the fear of diving in from time to time. The choice is ours to make: to stay in our comfort zone or take a leap of faith.  A life of faith is rare indeed. Bethany Hamilton is a living testament to this fact. May we follow in her example and choose faith over fear. What a difference it’ll make when it’s all said and done!

Her Impact:

To summarize what impact Bethany in a short paragraph doesn’t seem to give her due justice. With the help of her autobiography and the movie, Soul Surfer, millions of people have come to know and be inspired through her powerful testament of a life of faith. She also gives motivational speeches from time to time telling her story to people to all ages and walks of life. Her nonprofit foundation, Friends of Bethany, helps other amputee and shark-attack survivors.  Hamilton is involved in numerous charities. She’s gone a few mission trips with her church to Mexico visiting orphanages and showing love to the kids there. Finally, she continues to surf and do it better than anyone else despite her glaring disability.  

Lessons from Her Legacy:

It’s incredible what kind of legacy Bethany has already left us despite her short period of time on this earth. The lessons of her life are many and very valuable to put into practice. Her youth leader, Sarah Hill, supported and encouraged her early on in her life. On the day of the attack, she gave her a verse that God had laid on heart to tell her:  ”For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) No matter how unfair and hard life is we need to remember God’s promise that He has a plan for us that is bright, and that there are better days ahead. Also encouragement is vital in achieving and realizing a dream. It cannot be done alone. Bethany had her youth leader, brothers, parents, and friends all supporting her each step of the way. A life of faith is rewarded by God. Bethany could have used the shark attack as an excuse not to surf. But instead she choose to not only surf but to achieve her life-long dream of becoming a pro surfer.  Tragedy in life is inevitable; it’s how we respond to these setbacks and obstacles that define us. Lastly, don’t settle for second best. Always strive for the top and use for gifts to the best of your ability giving God all the glory. Passion is the fuel towards reaching the top of that mountain. I’ll leave you with how Hamilton summarizes the message of her life:

“But for me, knowing that God loves me and that he has a plan for my life, that no shark can take away and no contest result can shake, is like having solid rock underneath me. Bad things are bound to happen to everyone. That’s life. Here’s my advice: don’t put all your hope and faith into something that could suddenly and easily disappear. And honestly, that’s almost anything. The only thing that will never go away, that will never fail you, is God and your faith in him. All I can say is He gives me a really strong foundation for everything I do in life.”

Trivia:

• In August 2009, Hamilton won $25,000 on Are You Smarter Than a 5h Grader?
• On May 16, 2010 she appeared on an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
• Not only does Bethany have an autobiography and a movie based on her life’s story, but also there is a faith-based documentary, Heart of a Soul Surfer, directed by Becky Baumgartner in 2007.  
• Bethany has appeared on and shared her story on 20/20, Inside Edition, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show.
• Away from the waves Bethany enjoys hanging out with friends, going on hikes, and playing tennis.  She also enjoys Bible study and making dinners.

Sources:

http://bethanyhamilton.com/about/bio/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_Hamilton

http://bethany-hamilton.tripod.com/id1.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/sports/03seconds.html?_r=2

http://celebritybazar.com/bethany_hamilton/

http://www.lhj.com/volunteering/bethany-hamilton-soul-surfer/

http://soulsurfer.com/story.html

http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2011/04/06/interview-bethany-hamilton