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 don't know how long I'll be competing, but I'll always be surfing. I'll be surfing until I'm old.
Surfing for me is more than my lifestyle; it’s my passion, my love and it’s a part of me,
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.
Both of my parents are surfers, of course, so they understood where my passion for surfing was at and I guess they saw the talent that I had.
Life is a lot like surfing… When you get caught in the impact zone, you’ve got to just get back up. Because you never know what may be over the next wave.
God created the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the waves for our enjoyment. Surfing is just my way of worshipping Him.
In the end, my love for surfing helped me overcome my fear of sharks.
I don't need easy, I just need possible.
Surfing for me is more than my lifestyle; it's my passion, my love, and it's a part of me.
Surfing is a huge passion of mine. I'm and addict to it in a sense. I think it is a good addiction. I spend about anywhere from two to eight hours a day in the water when I am home. I enjoy competing and traveling. I don't know, I just like being in the ocean and enjoying God's creation. Just the adrenaline you get and its good exercise you get at the same time.
I just love being on the ocean and being creative on the waves and the feeling you get when you're surfing. All around it's beautiful and fun.
I guess my faith in Jesus Christ is what kept me going day by day. I just trusted in him and I believe that he's the one who gives me the strength and ability to overcome struggles and problems day to day. I'm just grateful for him, as he has blessed me with just an amazing family that has supported me through every step of the way.
Surfing is so unique and it's something that no matter what level you are, you can go and have fun. You can pick and choose the waves that you want to surf, so if it is too big and scary, you can wait until it changes and gets more to your level. Every time you go out it's always different and unique. It's almost like a place you can just de-stress.
My favorite thing [about surfing] is being creative on waves; it's like an art form. You can do whatever you want on that wave if you work hard at it and just have fun out there.