bethany hamilton

My name, Bethany Hamilton, may not ring a bell, but I am known as the girl who never gave up. I survived the unthinkable. I want to make a difference in people’s lives by sharing my story, so here it goes. Every morning I hit the beach with my friends. Halloween is usually the time to go trick-or-treating, but for me it was the time to catch a perfect wave. So at sunrise I was already at Tunnel Beach, feeling as though my veins were filled with salt water. The water was crystal clear and very calm. I was relaxing on my board with my left arm dangling in the water as I waited for the next big wave. My friends were floating not too far away. All of them were looking out to sea. Out of nowhere, came a giant tiger shark, and all I saw was a flash of grey. All I felt was a lot of pressure and a couple of fast tugs. It was all over in seconds! That’s all it took for the 15 foot tiger shark to bite my left arm off near my shoulder. I waited in shock as all the water turned bright red. I said in a loud but not panicky voice “I just got attacked by a shark.” After the attack, I kept saying “Get to the beach. Get to the beach.” My arm was bleeding badly, but that didn’t prevent me from praying. They tied a shirt around my stub as a tourniquet. As I was rushed to the hospital, I remember the paramedic’s guy saying, “God will never leave you, nor forsake you.” He was right. At the hospital, surgeons cleared out of the operating room so I could be rushed in. They gave me blood and cleaned out my terrible wound. I stayed in the hospital for about a week after the accident, because I needed time to heal and regain my strength. My family was with me constantly, but honestly I just wanted to go surfing. Many visitors came to see me, and all I saw was pity on their faces. After I was out of the hospital, I discovered that my life had changed dramatically. Everyday tasks suddenly became difficult. I knew I needed to