A Visit with Bethany Hamilton
Everything can change in a moment. If anyone has learned that lesson, it’s Bethany Hamilton.
Bethany Hamilton came by her love of surfing naturally. Parents Tom and Cheri loved water sports so much that they relocated to Hawaii from the mainland U.S. They passed this love onto their three children—Noah, Tim, and Bethany. The three younger Hamiltons grew up in beautiful Kauai, where being in the water was as natural as breathing, and Bethany took to surfing at a very young age. By the age of 8, this young girl had won her first surfing competition. At age 13, already one of the nation’s top-ranked amateurs, she had taken the title of runner-up at the 2003 U.S. National Championships.
Attack!
On a quiet morning in 2003, 13-year-old Bethany was surfing with friends off Kauai’s North Shore. In one unthinkable moment, she was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark. In her words, “I had no warning at all; not even the slightest hint of danger on the horizon. The waves were small and inconsistent, and I was just kind of rolling along with them, relaxing on my board with my left arm dangling in the cool water. I remember thinking, “I hope the surf picks up soon…”
The shark attack took her left arm, and she lost 60% of her blood. Miraculously, she survived. Lifeguards and medical personnel believe that her calmness during the ordeal and her faith in God saved her life.
“I remember most clearly what the Kauai paramedic said to me in the ambulance; he spoke softly and held my hand as we were pulling out of the beach parking lot. He whispered in my ear, ‘God will never leave you or forsake you.’ He was right.”
But this rising athlete’s hopes were seemingly cut short, and life had completely changed for her and her close-knit family. She had to relearn how to do daily tasks with only one arm, much less consider surfing again.
Back on Board
Yet one month later, the determined Bethany insisted on returning to the water, continuing to pursue her dream of becoming a professional surfer. Her father modified her surfboard with a handle, so she could perform the deep “duck-diving” needed to swim out to catch waves.
In January of 2004, she placed 5th in the Open Women’s division of a surf competition. In 2005, Bethany won 1st place—her first national title—in the Explorer Women’s division of the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) National Championships. It had been only a year since the shark attack. In 2007, Bethany’s dreams of becoming a professional surfer became reality. She has since competed in numerous ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) and World Tour Events.
Soul Surfer
In 2004, Bethany shared her story in her autobiography, Soul Surfer. In 2011, the book was made into a major motion picture. During this time, Bethany has continued to surf, and even more importantly, share her story of faith. Since the loss of her arm, Bethany has been the focus of much media attention and has taken advantage of the opportunities to point others to Christ. She’s also won numerous awards, and fulfills many public appearances and speaking engagements. Bethany desires to use the platform of professional sport to “be a beacon of inspiration and hope.”
Her father, Tom, says, “When the attack happened, Cheri and Bethany had been praying for God to give Bethany a platform to show his love to the surfing world and beyond. After the attack, our family tried to process the event and how all of our lives were changed in an instant. I definitely struggled with the big questions: ‘Why?’ ‘What is your purpose in this, God?’ He slowly started speaking to my heart about how Bethany would overcome and reach more souls for him, and continue the work that he started in our family. The movie Soul Surfer is part of that work, along with everything else God has in store for the future!”
Recently, I had the incredible privilege of getting to chat with Bethany and ask her a few questions. She is truly the real thing. The Hamiltons are simply a normal family whose lives were up-ended without warning. But they’ve allowed God to use a terrible circumstance as an opportunity to bring glory to him. Bethany’s love for Christ is readily apparent, and I hope you will take a moment to hear from this humble young lady’s heart.
FM: Since it was only lightly touched on in the movie, I’m sure our readers would love to hear your background with homeschooling, and how that has affected your life.
Bethany: Well, homeschooling has allowed me to pursue a career in professional surfing. As indicated in the movie, from where I live on Kauai, it’s a 45-minute drive to the middle and high schools, making little to no time for surfing before or after school. So my parents decided to homeschool me so that I was able to have time to practice and train, surfing anytime the surf was good. It was a blessing to have that flexibility!
There aren’t any homeschool groups here on the island, so my social time was through church youth group and sports. Aside from surfing, I played AYSO [American Youth Soccer Organization] soccer.
After the shark attack, I started traveling a lot for various appearances around the country and world; my flexible school schedule was helpful then too. Homeschooling for me was about convenience and flexibility!
FM: Many people are curious about your surfing career and want to know—what is your favorite part of it?
Bethany: I absolutely love going on surf trips around the world, exploring new places, and searching for good waves! Also, just the fact that it is my job to surf and to focus a lot of time and energy into training, practicing, working on my technique, competing, and traveling the world is such a blessing!
FM: What are your plans for the future?
Bethany: I still have the goal of qualifying for the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour. But I also plan to do more big wave tow-in surfing, continue to improve my surfing, and be involved in more surf film/television productions that film all over the world at the best surf spots.
FM: Can you tell us about your organization, Friends of Bethany Hamilton, and the work it is doing?
Bethany: Friends of Bethany Hamilton (FOBH) is a non-profit organization that my family and friends started as a way to say mahalo [Hawaiian for “thank you”] to the community that supported us, as well as support other shark attack survivors and traumatic amputees, as they cope with their recent tragedies. We hope to inspire people to overcome challenges through God’s strength, as seen in the testimony of others, like me.
One of the special personal outreaches the organization is doing is sending out Encouragement Packages to recent shark attack survivors or amputees. One way that people can volunteer is by helping FOBH get in touch with these individuals soon after their incident.
FOBH is really a young organization that is just getting its feet wet but is stepping forward, excited about what “waves” are coming its way! You are invited to take a moment to visit the website www.friendsofbethany.com and say hello to our new executive director, Katie Ancheta!
FM: How has your life changed as a result of the release of the movie, Soul Surfer?
Bethany: Well, I am a lot more well-known now, so people recognize me pretty much everywhere I go. Travel is more exhausting, because there’s lots of attention in public places, like airports. I usually have enthusiastic fans and friends/family of my fans come up to me, asking for an autograph or photo. The blessing is that it’s a constant reminder of what God has done to touch people through my life, but it can be really draining and difficult to handle sometimes!
Another blessing is that I’ve gotten invited to do a lot of fun things, like appear on an episode of The Biggest Loser (NBC), and work with great charities like The Make a Wish Foundation. It has been an eye-opener… showing how God can take a small-town girl like me and show off himself!
FM: I’m sure your fans want to know…is there anything in the movie that wasn’t true to life or that you wish you could change?
Bethany: I’m really happy with how Soul Surfer turned out! It was a long journey making it. I would have added more surfing, though! [laughs]
FM: Now, for a couple of “fun” questions… what is your favorite Bible verse?
Bethany: Currently, my favorite verse is Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
FM: Do you have a favorite kind of music or band?
Bethany: I love all kinds of music with good lyrics! Josh Garrels, Kari Jobe, Neil Young, Adele, Lecrae, oldies… and the list goes on!
FM: When I told some of my own teens’ friends that I’d be talking to you, several of them came up with specific questions they hoped you’d answer. One of the questions I heard repeatedly was this: How do you continue to keep your eyes on the Lord?
Bethany: I think it’s important to have a regular “date” with the Lord. A time of reading Scripture, praying, and worshiping! I have great friends and family who are always very encouraging as well!
FM: That’s great advice. Most teens can’t imagine going through what you have. They asked: Where did your will and passion come from?
Bethany: I believe God gave me the will and passion I have that motivates me daily, and which drove me eight years ago to try surfing again and to not give up on my dreams!
FM: So, how did you handle it when things got tough?
Bethany: When things got tough, I turned to God and relied on my faith in him—that he was in control, and that he allowed this to happen to me because he could do something good through it. Now, my faith has grown so much, because I’ve trusted in God’s promises (Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28), and he has fulfilled them in my life! It’s a blessing.
FM: That’s so encouraging. Many young people today don’t seem to have that same drive that you do. What is your advice for seemingly passionless teens?
Bethany: I would encourage teens that feel “passionless” to make your relationship with God first priority and get to know him better. In doing that, you can pray for him to give you that passion. Meanwhile, find out what it is that you love to do—a sport, volunteering at church or a charity, dance, music, etc.—then have fun doing those things and do them well!
FM: Are there any other ‘messages’ you’d like to get out to teens and young people?
Bethany: I would encourage teens to be the unusual—to not conform to what our culture says we “should” be like. Just be your beautiful self! Honor your parents. And have fun with the good choices that you make! Also, do your best in school. It’s soo “rad” that we have the chance to learn and get a great education!
When people ask me what my faith in Christ means to me, I usually answer in just one word: ‘everything!’ This was true before the shark attack as well as after. And I truly believe that this faith is a big part of what did get me through it. It helps to know that even when you don’t have a clue why something has happened in your life, someone up there has a master plan and is watching over you. It’s a tremendous relief to be able to put your trust in God and take the burden off your shoulders.
This article originally appeared in Family Magazine. Click here to request a free sample issue!
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