Brief description of their life: Bethany Hamilton, also known as B-Ham, Bethy, and Hamilton, was born on February 8th 1990, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. She always loved the water and being raised by her parents, Tom and Cheri Hamilton, who were huge surfing enthusiasts, she had her own dreams of becoming a professional competitive surfer. Not only was surfing in her blood, but she thrived to be the best and won several competitions at an early age. This dedication helped her to win the Rell Sunn Menehune Surfing Championships at the age of 9, which brought on her first major sponsorships from Rip Curl and Tim Carroll Surfboards. She quickly rose in the rankings in the Amateur surfing competitions after only a couple of years. Sadly, …show more content…
The events that she encountered that morning of October 31st, 2003 haunted her. She was afraid of going in to the same ocean that she so loved before. Bethany was having trouble adjusting to her new life with one arm. Of course, growing up with the luxury of having two arms and having one of them ripped away would have an impact on anyone. She had to learn how to do everything that came so easily over again. Through all of the experiences that she endured, surely she can push through this. Weeks after the attack, she not only was going back into the ocean, but she was surfing again. In 2004 she wrote an autobiography about her attack and her road to recovery. Her book hit the Hollywood big screen in 2011 when her autobiography was made into the hit motion picture “Soul …show more content…
She wouldn’t stand to have this sport that she lived and breathed every day ripped away from her after her attack. When everyone thought that her professional career was over, her dedication to the sport that she loved so much pushed her to become the person she is today. She became an icon for people with disabilities everywhere. She showed that you don’t have to let a disability stand in your way of what you love. What can we learn from and model from this person? Bethany’s tragedy, recovery and return to surfing shows that you can overcome any obstacle that stands in your way. She was unwilling to accept the fact that she had to live life the way that others expected her to. Bethany had a dream and was not going to let her attack change that. Though her road back to surfing was a difficult one, she pushed through the adversity and came out on top. She is living proof that if you put your mind to it you can accomplish greatness. Why did you choose this person? After receiving this assignment, one person popped in my head; Bethany Hamilton. I remember watching “Soul Surfer”, the movie based on Bethany’s autobiography, over and over again. I was amazed at what this woman went through and how she persevered through all that stood in her way. She was a beacon of hope, showing me that no matter what happens in my life, I will be able to achieve my