Hamilton, Bethany (1990-…), is an American professional surfer, author, and motivational speaker. Hamilton gained widespread fame when, as a promising 13-year-old surfer, she survived a shark attack that caused the loss of her arm. The attack and her return to surfing after it are described in the book Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board (2004), which Hamilton wrote with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh. The story was made into a motion picture, Soul Surfer (2011).
Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born on Feb. 8, 1990, in Lihue, Hawaii , on the island of Kauai. She began surfing as a child and earned her first sponsorship by the age of 9. In 2003, she placed second in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) National Championships in Huntington Beach, California. On Oct. 31, 2003, while surfing off the coast of Kauai, Hamilton was attacked by what was later determined to be a 14-foot (4-meter) tiger shark . The shark bit off her left arm below the shoulder. Less than a month after the attack, Hamilton returned to surfing. In 2005, she won the Explorer Women’s division of the NSSA National Competition and the O’Neill Island Girl Junior Pro tournament in Poipu, Hawaii.
In 2007, Hamilton began competing professionally. She has since competed and placed in many major surfing competitions. In 2012, she became the first woman to compete in the Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang, in Bali, Indonesia. In 2016, Hamilton was nominated for a World Surf League Big Wave Award for her performance surfing 40-foot- (12-meter-) tall waves at a site known as “Jaws” off the Hawaiian island of Maui.
In her speaking appearances and charity work, Hamilton promotes her Christian faith and encourages a healthy, active lifestyle, particularly for girls and people dealing with life-altering events. In addition to Soul Surfer, Hamilton has coauthored the book Body and Soul: A Girl’s Guide to a Fit, Fun, and Fabulous Life (2014) and others. She is also the subject of the documentaries Heart of a Soul Surfer (2007) and Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (2018). In 2013, Hamilton married Adam Dirks, a youth pastor.
