Bethany Hamilton's Positive Impact On The World

Bethany Hamilton has made a positive impact on the world. She has inspired many young children and adults around the world. Bethany Hamiltion was attacked at the age of 13 and lost her arm. Instead of letting it affect her she learned how to surf again. She became an amazing surfer and made the U.S team. There are many documentaries, books, and movies about her. Her story has motivated and made children believe in themselves again, making her an MVP.
On October 31st 2003 Hamilton was surfing with her close friend and her friend's dad. Her dad was at the hospital having knee surgery that day. When she was sitting on her board waiting for more waves a 15 foot tiger shark attacked her and was rushed to the hospital. Her friends and family say

It did not take long for her to get back into the water again. Only a month after the attack she was back in the water learning to surf again. “My fear of losing surfing was greater than my fear of sharks.” Bethany stated. (TheGauridan.com) Relearning how to surf was hard for her, she had to overcome many obstacles. Bethany was always good at paddling so learning how to paddle again was not hard. Standing up on the board was the hardest thing for her. She had to relearn her balance and be able to catch the waves. Her dad made her a handle so she could be better at diving under the waves. (BethanyHamilton.com) Bethany's brother made a huge impact on her mental health and helped her overcome many challenging mental blocks. Her brothers helped her through some of her toughest times and helped her rebuild her strength and helped her get in the right headspace. Bethany looked up to her brothers very much and they pushed her to try new things. (SoulSurferBethanyHalmilton.com) Bethany says that God and faith helped her through her injury so substantial. Bethany states “[God] doesn’t say that life’s going to be easy peasy and perfect … to think that we are not going to have trouble sets ourselves up for mental struggles and the fact is we are all going to face hard times. When I lost my arm I was just thankful to be alive and that propelled me to have a more positive mindset.”

In 2004 she wrote her own book Soul Surfer with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundscunh. The book became very popular and movies and documentaries started coming out about her. From 2007 to 2018 movies and documentaries come out about her life. Bethany was very happy she could share her story but it was also mentally taxing on her everyday. Bethny states “ I didn't set out my life to have a great impact or anything but it's really beautiful to see all the good that comes from what seems like an awful thing.” For 15 years she was labeled “ Shark Attack Survivor” and she is trying to change that. People often think she was a victim of circumstance. Bethany states “ It's mentally taxing every single day, just being a steady mom or wife or friend and just dealing with family all the time. Probably the harder thing in life is maintaining healthy relationships. I am thankful for my husband, my boys and my family.”