“Courage doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you. ” —Bethany Hamilton (born 1990) surfer/author
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” —e. e. cummings (1894-1962) poet, playwright, painter, essayist
“I don’t need easy, I just need possible.” – Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton Bethany Meilani Hamilton (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional surfer and writer. On October 31, 2003, she survived a shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off; ultimately, she returned to professional surfing and wrote about her experiences in the 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. The book was adapted into the 2011 feature film, Soul Surfer. Hamilton attributes her strength to her Christian faith.
Hamilton is also the subject of a 2018 documentary, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, in which she discusses how marriage and motherhood have affected her professional surfing career.
[Following the shark attack] Hamilton was rushed to Wilcox Medical Center. By the time she arrived there, Hamilton had lost over 60% of her blood and was in hypovolemic shock. Hamilton’s father, who was scheduled to have knee surgery that same morning, was already there, but she took his place in the operating room with the same doctor.
