Soul Surfer

In October 2003, a young surfer, Bethany Hamilton and her friends went surfing in Hawaii. Bethany was lying on her surfboard about 300 metres from the shore while her friends were looking out to sea to see the next big wave. Suddenly a five-metre tiger shark appeared just below the surface and attacked her. It bit her left arm. Bethany saw the water turning red. She held on to her board and the shark went away- with Bethany’s arm with it. Luckily the shark didn’t attack again.

Bethany constantly told herself ‘Get to the beach!’ She started to paddle towards the beach with one arm. Her friends were shocked when they saw the blood. They quickly came to help. It took fifteen minutes to reach the shore. Then the ambulance came and Bethany eventually got to the hospital.

Bethany started surfing when she was five. By thirteen, she was one of the best talents in the surfing world for teenagers. She was planning to become a professional surfer but unfortunately, she was attacked by a shark.

The remarkable thing about Bethany is that only ten weeks later after the attack, she was in a surfing competition. Less than a year after the accident she came the first in a surfing competition.

In years, Bethany has become a source of inspiration to millions of people through her determination and strength. She founded her charity ‘Friends of Bethany’ and she has been reaching amputees and youth. She says, ‘My greatest joy is being wife and mum.’ She has been touching people’s lives globally as a professional surfer, and a motivational speaker.