Who Is Bethany Hamilton?

By: Ellen Labrecque, Who HQ

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.