Bethany Hamilton

She met Adam Dirks, a youth minister, in 2012 and formed a close relationship with him. They got married in August 2013 in a lavish wedding in front of 300 friends and family members. The couple had their first child, a boy, in June 2015.

Bethany Hamilton was born on 8 February, 1990, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, to Tom and Cheri Hamilton. She has two older brothers, Noah and Timmy.

Her whole family loved surfing and her parents began teaching her how to surf even before she turned five. Surfing was in her blood and she became fascinated with the sport early on.

Her family is very religious and has an undying faith in God. Bethany too began her relationship with God at a young age as her parents religiously taught her about God and read stories from the Bible to her.

In 1998, she participated in her first real Surf Competition: Rell Sunn Menehune Surfing Championships on Oahu, Hawaii, and won both the short and long board divisions. Having tasted her first competitive success, Bethany was raring to become a professional competitive surfer.

When she was just nine years old she received her first major surf sponsorships from Rip Curl and Tim Carroll Surfboards. Over the next couple of years she steadily moved up the rankings in Amateur surfing competitions by winning several events.

On 31 October 2003, she went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai, with her best friend Alana Blanchard and her family. She was enjoying a leisurely day, lying on her surfboard with her left arm dangling in the water when suddenly a tiger shark surfaced from beneath the water and attacked her.

She was taken aback by the attack and was shocked to see that the shark had bitten off her left arm just below the shoulder. Alana and her father rushed to her help and soon she was transported to Wilcox Memorial Hospital.

She had lost a lot of blood and felt numb on her way to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, one of the paramedics held her hand and assured her that God will take care of her.

Initially the doctors told her parents that her chances of survival were very slim. But she bravely fought on against all odds and survived. She was very traumatized by this incident but did not allow it to overtake her love for surfing.

Within weeks of the attack, she returned to surfing. While making her comeback to surfing she used a custom-made board that was longer, thicker, and equipped with a handle for her right arm. But with time she learned to use standard equipment.

She won the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete in 2004 and was also given the Courage Teen Choice Award.

In 2005, she received the “Mildred Babe Dirdrikson-Zacharias Courage Award” from the United States Sports Academy.