Bethany Hamilton

Learn about Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of determination, faith, and hope. At the age of thirteen, the young surfer lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark. With resilience and tenacity, she returned to the water a month later; and within two years had won her first national title.

Her remarkable story has been told in a best-selling autobiography and in the 2011 blockbuster sensation film, Soul Surfer. Not satisfied with mediocrity, Bethany has continually pushed her surfing ability and has proven to be one of the leading professional surfers of our time. She has been called the “Queen of Surfing” and her legendary status was confirmed when she beat two of the world’s best competitive surfers during a women’s pro event in Fiji in 2016. This year she is being inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame.