The inspiring story of amputee Bethany Hamilton, who survived losing her arm in a shark attack and then went on to become a professional surfer!

Bethany Hamilton grew up in a family full of surfers. She learned to surf at a very young age and earned her first sponsorship by the time she was nine. When Bethany was thirteen, her life was changed forever when a fourteen-foot-long tiger shark burst out of the water and bit off her left arm while she was surfing on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii. Less than one month after the shark attack, Bethany returned to surfing. Fewer than three months after losing her arm, Bethany competed in her first major competition. She went on to have a successful surfing career, using a modified surfboard with a rope handle on it so that she could still compete with just one arm. Today, she has written nine books and hopes to inspire others to overcome their obstacles to pursue their dreams.

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Who Is Bethany Hamilton?

After three days of nonstop rain, it was finally going to be a sunny day on the island of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i. It was Halloween, October 31, 2003, and most kids in the United States were looking forward to trick-or-treating. Thirteen-year-old Bethany Hamilton had other plans—she wanted to surf first! Bethany awoke that morning at five a.m.—before the sun rose. Then she got up and opened her closet to choose a bathing suit—she had over a dozen to pick from. This was because Bethany surfed every day, so long as the weather was good! The young surfer selected a red-white-and-blue suit that matched her red-white-and-blue surfboard.

While Bethany got ready, her mom, Cheri, checked the island weather and the swell report—the forecast of ocean conditions. Based on the report, surfers could figure out where the best waves on the island would be that day. When Bethany came downstairs, her mom handed her a bowl of Raisin Bran cereal to eat during their drive to the surf spot.

The family car’s nickname was the “Blue Crush.” It was an old, beat-up blue van perfect for hauling big surfboards on the roof. Bethany and her mom listened to music on their ride with the windows rolled down. They were careful not to play the tunes too loud because most people on the island were still asleep. Bethany could smell the salty air and felt eager to get into the water.

At the first beach they tried, there weren’t any waves, so they went to a different spot called Tunnels Beach. When Bethany and her mom arrived at that beach, they discovered Bethany’s best friend, Alana Blanchard, was already there! Alana’s brother, Byron, and Alana’s dad, Holt, were with her. They, too, had come to catch some early waves. Bethany’s mom trusted the
Blanchard family, so she left her daughter with them to surf.

It was around six thirty in the morning, and the sun was just coming up as Bethany paddled out with Alana, Byron, and Holt. The water was warm and crystal clear, but the waves weren’t that big. Bethany floated on her board and waited for the next one to roll in. She lay on her stomach with her left arm dangling in the water. Alana and the others were floating on their boards nearby.

Suddenly, Bethany sensed a large object under the water behind her. She felt a surge of pressure and a fierce tugging on her left arm. The water turned bright red from blood. Bethany looked down to see that most of her left arm was gone, nearly all the way to her shoulder. She did not scream. She was numb and in shock.

“I just got attacked by a shark,” Bethany said loudly, but calmly, to her friend, Alana. The attack lasted just a few seconds. Bethany’s life, however, would never be the same.