Do you remember the story in October 2003 about the girl who lost her arm in the shark attack off the coast of Hawaii? That young girl was Bethany Hamilton. Bethany Hamilton is a Hawaiian native who loves to surf. I find her interesting not because of the shark attack, but because of what she overcame after the attack. Bethany Hamilton practically grew up in the water. She had a love for surfing from an early age. She was born into a family who loved to surf. Her parent’s, Tom and Cheri, originally lived in New Jersey, but moved to Hawaii before she was born to have better surfing conditions. She was introduced to surfing at an early age and fell in love with it. By the age of five, she began competitive surfing. At the age of nine, her talent was noticed and she was sponsored by Rip Curl USA. On October 31, 2003 her life was changed forever when a shark took her left arm. She was surfing with her best friend Alana, Alana’s dad and brother when she lost her arm to the shark. Bethany Hamilton was resting on her board waiting for the next wave to come. She had her right arm on the board supporting her, and the left arm dangling and splashing …show more content…
A month after the attack she was already back in the water and surfing. In 2004 her book Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board hit the shelves, and became a best seller. She was awarded by MTV, ESPN, and the United States Sports Academy for her courage. Only a year after the accident she won the Explorers Woman Division in the NSSA National Championship. Then in 2007, she become a pro surfer and joined the pro circuit. A few years after her book came out a major motion picture was made based on it. In 2014 she and her husband were on the cast of the Amazing Race. She has also made appearances on the shows Extreme Make Over and Biggest