Bethany Hamilton Research Paper

Even though surfing requires a lot of balance and effort, Bethany Hamilton was able to stand up on her board with one arm after getting attacked by a shark. Bethany Hamilton was born in Lihue, Hawaii on February 8, 1990. She was a competitive surfer by age eight (Hamilton 49). The reason why Bethany is so competitive is because she has two brothers who motivated her to try harder and to be the best (Hamilton 35). Bethany always said, “You know it would take a lot to keep me from surfing” (Hamilton 49). She was set out to be a surfer for all her life, but her dream career had a sudden shock that could have ended it forever. At age thirteen, a shark bit off Bethany’s arm while she was surfing (Ott). Even though Bethany Hamilton lost her

Bethany’s parents support and inspire her in everything she does and wants to do. If Bethany had a goal to achieve, her parents were there for her. If something went wrong for Bethany, her parents helped her through it. It was no question that her parents would help and support her after what happened (Hamilton 19). After the accident, Bethany was thinking about how her mom would react to what happened. Her mom always supported her in everything, and she needed to be strong for Bethany (Hamilton 84). Bethany’s parents believed that she could be able to surf with only one arm. Her dad told her that she could do whatever she set her mind to. Her dad was always a big supporter, and always told her uplifting things (Hamilton 176). All of her life, Bethany worked so hard to be a pro surfer. She spent so much of her time surfing and training to be the best, and that dream could easily never happen. Despite all of this, the only thing Bethany’s mom was worried about was her safety (Hamilton 91). When Bethany was in the hospital, all of her family spread the word to pray for her. There were so many people in the waiting room who came to see Bethany, and who were there for her after her surgery (Hamilton 91). A lot of people came to bring her gifts. She had so much support from all of her friends and family, and they all felt so

All she had to do was try. One day, some of Bethany’s friends were planning on going surfing, so Bethany wanted to come and watch. Once she arrived, she knew that surfing was too tempting, so she decided to go on her board (Hamilton 177). For Bethany, stepping into that water for the first time felt like stepping back home (Hamilton 180). Once Bethany was in the water, her mind was set on catching a wave and getting on her feet. She wasn’t scared or thinking about getting attacked by a shark, she was excited to be back in the water (Hamilton 180). It was very hard for Bethany at the start. She thought it would be easy to get up on the board, so she felt discouraged (Hamilton 181). Suddenly, the perfect wave came in and Bethany caught it. She got to her feet, and everything after that was easy (Hamilton 181). After Bethany rode her first wave after the attack, she was ecstatic. Everyone was cheering and so happy for her. Even though she was on the easy waves, it was still an amazing accomplishment for her (Hamilton 181). Bethany’s story got out and everyone wanted to meet her or interview her. She was interviewed by some major companies such as Inside Edition, Life Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Early Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and CNN Live (Hamilton 161). Bethany has walked the red carpet and been in movies and short films because of her story. It is so inspiring