Bethany Hamilton by Emanuel C.

 

Many people face adversity in their lives and become successful. Bethany Hamilton, born in Hawaii in 1990, was surfing competitively at the age of 8. Her career was almost derailed at age 13 when a shark bit off her left arm. Despite this, she came back to surfing shortly afterward and won a title for herself in 2005. Due to being a successful author and public speaker. Hamilton has shared her experiences within the topic of adversity in documentary films and appeared on several TV shows and programs.

To begin with, according to biography.com, Bethany Hamilton was born in Lihue, Kawaii, Hawaii, to parents Tom and Chery. She was raised in a surfing family. Hamilton learned to handle the waves at an early age. By 8 years old she started competitive surfing, an amazing accomplishment for someone so young. By 9 years old, Hamilton got her first ever sponsorship, which was also amazing. Hamilton continued to do competitive surfing. She even proved herself capable of beating more experienced surfers. Her early life was wonderful until tragedy struck.

Next, on the morning of October 31, 2003, Hamilton went to surf with her best friend and her family. After a few hours of surfing, she felt pressure on her left arm and her best friend noticed that her left arm had been severed nearly to the shoulder. She was rushed to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. It was confirmed that she had been attacked by a 14 ft tiger shark, who bit off her arm. Nevertheless, she had the mindset of a lion, the king of the jungle. Missing a limb, she vowed to return to surfing as soon as possible. 

According to Titanica.com, despite this tragedy, Hamilton resumed surfing just one month after the attack and was determined to  help keep the story alive in the news. She did many interviews about her experiences. Her 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board, became a best seller book and also a movie. She was honored by MTV, ESPN, and the U.S sports academy for her courage in the face of this adversity. Hamilton continued to publish more books such as “Devotions for The Soul Surfer” and many more. Even though a shark bit off her arm she accomplished so much for a young girl.

In conclusion, Bethany Hamilton succeeded despite her adversities. She was determined and was not letting her bitten arm get the best of her. So, she went on to surfing after a while of her attack. She is now known from several documentaries and from several TV shows and programs. She is an inspiration around the world to many kids, teens, and even adults.