- In full:
- Bethany Meilani Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton
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Who is Bethany Hamilton?
Bethany Hamilton, born on February 8, 1990, is an American professional surfer, author, and motivational speaker who became an inspiration after losing her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13.
After the attack, she returned to surfing shortly after her injury. In 2004, she published Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. She also starred in the documentary Heart of a Soul Surfer in 2007. In 2019, she was the subject of the documentary Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, which follows her life from childhood through marriage and motherhood.
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How did Bethany Hamilton become famous?
Bethany Hamilton is an American professional surfer, author, and motivational speaker who became famous after a shark attack at age 13, during which she lost her left arm. Despite this serious injury, she returned to surfing shortly after the attack and regained her competitive edge, serving as an inspiration to many.
Hamilton's popularity grew with the release of books and movies about her life, including Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board (2004), the documentary Heart of a Soul Surfer (2007), and the film Soul Surfer (2011), a dramatized retelling of her surfing career and the shark incident. As a public speaker, she shares advice about overcoming personal challenges and discusses her Christian faith.
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What major challenge did she face as a surfer?
The major challenge Bethany Hamilton faced as a surfer was losing her left arm in a shark attack at the age of 13. Despite this serious injury, she returned to surfing a month later and adjusted her technique to compensate for the lost limb. Within a year, she was competing again, and in 2005, she won a national surfing title. In 2008, she began her first season of competition in the World Surf League (WSL). In 2023, she announced that she would not compete in WSL events because she disagreed with the leagueâs policies enabling transgender athletes to compete.
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How did Bethany return to surfing after her injury?
After a 14-foot tiger shark bit off her left arm just below the shoulder, Bethany Hamilton held on to her board, and friends called for help. She lost more than half the blood in her body and underwent several surgeries, but she returned to surfing a month later. Within a year, Hamilton was entering competitions, adjusting her technique to compensate for the lost limb, and earned a national surfing title in 2005. In 2008, she began her first season of competition in the World Surf League (WSL).
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What books and movies have been made about her story?
Bethany Hamilton, an American surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack at age 13, has been the subject of several books and movies. Her 2004 book, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, recounts her experiences and return to surfing. In 2007, she starred in Heart of a Soul Surfer, a documentary about her journey. The dramatized film Soul Surfer, in which Hamilton served as a surfing stunt double, came out in 2011. She also released Body & Soul: A Girlâs Guide to a Fit, Fun, and Fabulous Life (2014), Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up (2018), and Unstoppable Me (2018). The documentary Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (2019) chronicles her life from childhood to motherhood.
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How does Bethany inspire others as a motivational speaker?
Bethany Hamilton inspires others through her resilience and faith. After losing her arm in a shark attack at 13, she returned to surfing shortly after the incident, demonstrating courage and determination.
Hamilton shares her story via books, movies, and public speaking engagements, offering advice on overcoming personal challenges. Her book, Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up, features inspiring quotes, life lessons, and photographs, while her documentary, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, chronicles her journey through marriage, motherhood, and her surfing career. Hamilton also openly discusses her Christian faith, further connecting with and motivating her audience.
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Bethany Hamilton (born February 8, 1990, Lihue, Hawaii, U.S.) is an American professional surfer, author, and motivational speaker who lost her arm to a shark while surfing when she was 13 years old. She served as an inspiration to people when she returned to surfing shortly after the attack, despite her serious injury.
Bethany Hamilton is one of three children of Tom and Cheri Hamilton, who are both avid surfers and worked together at the Kauai Surf Hotel on Kauaiâs Kalapaki Beach. She has two brothers, Noah and Timothy. Bethany was frequently exposed to surfing as a child, and she began participating herself at a young age. She was homeschooled after sixth grade so she could devote more time to surfing, and she quickly began to make a name for herself in the sport. She received her first sponsorship at age nine, and soon after she competed in regional and national surfing competitions, scoring well and winning some contests.
On October 31, 2003, Hamilton went surfing off Makua (Tunnels) Beach in Haâena, Kauai, with a friend. She was lying sideways on her surfboard with her left arm hanging in the water, when suddenly she could feel herself being pulled back and forth. A 14-foot (4.3-metre) tiger shark was attacking her, and it bit off her left arm just below the shoulder. She held on to her board while the blood she lost during the attack turned the surrounding water red. Friends immediately called for help, and Hamilton was rushed to a hospital. She lost more than half the blood in her body and underwent several surgeries, but she was able to return to surfing a month later. Within the year Hamilton was once again entering competitions, and she adjusted her technique to compensate for the lost limb. She continued her success in the surfing world, earning a national surfing title in 2005. In 2008 she began her first season of competition in the World Surf League (WSL). Over time, she competed and performed well in many WSL events.
Hamilton became more popular through the release of her books and movies about her life. She published the book Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board in 2004. Written with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh, it tells the story of Hamiltonâs loss and how she regained her competitive edge as a surfer. In 2007 Hamilton starred in the documentary Heart of a Soul Surfer, which discusses her journey back to surfing after the shark attack. The movie Soul Surfer, a dramatized retelling of Hamiltonâs surfing career and shark incident, was released in 2011. The movie featured archived footage of Hamilton surfing, and she served as a surfing stunt double for her character.
Hamiltonâs book with Dustin Dillberg, Body & Soul: A Girlâs Guide to a Fit, Fun, and Fabulous Life (2014), explores healthy living and includes recipes and workouts. In 2018 Hamilton released two books: Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up, which includes numerous photographs of Hamilton surfing, quotes intended to inspire readers, and life lessons involving religious faith and courage, and Unstoppable Me, a childrenâs picture book that she wrote with her husband, Adam Dirks, about a surfing lion who finds the courage to return to the waves after wiping out. The documentary Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable follows her life from childhood through marriage and parenthood, as well as her journey balancing her personal life and surfing career. It was released in theatres in 2019. As a public speaker, Hamilton has shared advice about persevering through personal challenges. She has also discussed her relationship with her Christian faith. In 2022 Hamilton returned to surfing and motivational speaking, though in 2023 she announced that she would not compete in WSL events because she disagreed with the leagueâs policies enabling transgender athletes to compete.
In 2013 Hamilton married Dirks, a youth minister. She has three sons: Tobias (born 2015), Wesley (born 2018), and Micah (born 2021).