(CNN)In 2003, when Hawaiian surfer Bethany Hamilton was just 13 years old, she lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing in Kauai. Hamilton herself performed all the one-armed surfing stunts in it. In 2009 she was a contestant on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? That same year, her 2004 book was turned into a feature film titled, Soul Surfer, and was released in theaters. But in no time at all, she was back to using the same board every surfer uses in competitions. Holt Blanchard immediately applied a tourniquet to Hamilton's arm using a surfboard leash, the family said. With the help of her friends she rediscovers her love for surfing. We are not always perfect and can get tired and grumpy with each other. Hamilton stated: “I was only going to marry a surfer. In 2004, Hamilton’s book, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, was published by MTV Books. She won the National Scholastic Surfing Association National Championship for the 18-and-under age group in 2005. When Bethany is asked about the attack, her response is probably not as expected. Miraculously, just 26 days after the attack, she was back on her board. Using her platform as a professional athlete to promote living a fit and healthy lifestyle, she authored the book Body and Soul in 2014. However, the story of Bethany Hamilton and the moment she came face to face with a shark, is a truly remarkable one. No matter how slim the chances, the mere idea of being ripped to pieces by an underwater killing machine is enough to keep some people out of the water and safe on the shore. Competing alongside some of the best surfers in the world, Hamilton took on the challenge and came in at third place after having knocked the top-ranked woman surfer in the world out of the competition at an earlier stage. Bethany’s story, which shares details of her outlook on life following her attack at just 13-years-old, appeals to a large range of audiences and experiences and is the reason she is so in demand. Scroll down for details on Bethany's attack, her upcoming documentary, and more! Then, as Hamilton paddled closer, they saw the blood in the water and realized that her arm was completely missing from the shoulder down. A City Lost For Centuries Has Been Uncovered By Archaeologists in Rural Kansas, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The film shows Hamilton's remarkable journey and highlights her triumphs over every obstacle life throws at her, from surfing with one arm, to raising two young boys. While she resides in Hawaii with her family, she spends half the year traveling the world so she can attend talks and speeches. Bethany was portrayed by actress AnnaSophia Robb, yet, Hamilton performed all the one-armed surfing stunts in the film herself. I have definitely had to get very real and serious about my walk with God and had to decide if I am really real in my commitments to serve and obey him.”. "She's back and forth," Tom Hamilton said. Bethany Meilani Hamilton (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional surfer who survived a 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off and who ultimately returned to professional surfing.She wrote about her experience in the 2004 autobiography Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. The days of circumnavigating the world may seem to be behind us, but the truth is, there is still a ... There’s no better feeling than knowing you can sit back, relax, and totally unwind from the world ... Pens & Patron is a travel site dedicated to wandering spirits. And I did; with God’s help.”. On January 10, 2004, just two months after the attack, she entered a major surfing competition and continues to competitively surf to this day. After all, his mother was already competing from as young as eight-years-old and continues to showcase her passion. [13] In 2018 they had a second son, Wesley. The couple met in early 2012 after Hamilton was introduced to the youth minister by a mutual friend, and they were engaged in April 2013. A year later, in June 2015, marking two years after they wed, Hamilton gave birth to the couple’s first child, a son named Tobias. One early morning in 2003, Bethany Hamilton was following her usual daily routine and set out to surf with her friends family. Unbeknownst to her, a 14-foot-long shark was fast approaching and soon caught her off guard. She was assisted by the Blanchards to help her get back to shore, and Alana’s father then created a tourniquet out of a surfboard leach to wrap around what was left of her arm. It follows Makana the lion who enjoys surfing but loses her nerve after wiping out on the water. All Rights Reserved. The same year she returned to compete in surfing competitions, she won an ESPY award for Best Comeback Athlete and the Courage Teen Choice Award. Hamilton has a documentary in the works, which is entitled Unstoppable. Her story is also told in the 2007 short subject documentary film Heart of a Soul Surfer. Bethany Hamilton is called a soul surfer. Hamilton has published eight books with her mom publishing one about her story. ', Keen to encourage others to, "live an unstoppable life," she says she feels "privileged to be a role model.". Just three to four weeks after Bethany got her arm bitten off in the vicious attack, the surfer was back to riding the waves! Having just survived an attack that would keep most people on land for good, the 13-year old surfer declared, “If I don’t get back on my board, I’ll be in a bad mood forever.”. That didn’t last long. It was during her swim that Bethany was lying on her surfboard, surrounded by numerous turtles, and her left arm was dangling on the side of her board in the water. ", Her unique journey and positive perspective has inspired people around the world and has now manifested itself into a documentary, 'Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable.'. All the while, she nevertheless said that she hardly felt anything, likely due to shock. Includes photos, inspiration quotes, and life lessons from Hamilton, Bethany Hamilton, Adam Dirks, illustrated by Gill Guile. [28] Hamilton and her husband, Adam Dirks, competed as a team on the 25th season of The Amazing Race, finishing in third place. #babyinthere #babyonboard✨❤️", "Soul Surfer Interview With Bethany Hamilton! Hamilton remained extraordinarily calm throughout her ordeal, later recalling, “I was praying to God to rescue me and help…then, I had this one pretty funny thought…’I wonder if I’m going to lose my sponsor.'”. Explore, taste, and write about the world. A shark had been killed a mile away from where the attack had taken place, and after the story of the attack broke out, investigators were presented with a photograph of the 14-foot-long shark that had been killed.

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