As a result of the sudden attack of a huge shark, this girl was left without her left hand and could die. But this prompted her only with more determination to follow her dream.
Promising start
Bethany Hamilton was born into a family of surfers and first tried herself in this sport at the age of five. At the age of seven, she was already confidently catching the wave and getting up on the board without outside help. Won her first competition at eight. Seeing her daughter’s sincere passion and talent, over time, her parents allowed her to go to home schooling to devote more time to her favorite pastime. Thus, Bethany's cherished dream of becoming a professional surfer seemed not only possible, but also almost inevitable.
Fateful day
This day began like any other. Thirteen-year-old Bethany got up at five in the morning to go to the beach. The weather forecast that morning was pretty disappointing for surfing - no excitement was expected. But since Hamilton still wanted to go, mom drove the girl to one of her favorite beaches. There she joined her friend Alana Blanchard, her father and brother, and they all went swimming in anticipation of good waves.
Surfer Bethany Hamilton was lying on the board, her hand in the water, and nothing portended trouble. A four-meter tiger shark appeared as if from nowhere and grabbed the girl by the shoulder. Bethany instinctively grabbed onto the board, trying to stay on it, and the shark, pushing her victim several times, disappeared ... tearing her arm just below the shoulder joint. Everything happened so swiftly and unexpectedly that none of those around noticed anything.
“We just sat there, and suddenly Bethany shouted that she was attacked by a shark,” recalls Holt Blanchard, a friend of the Hamilton family. At first he decided that the girl was joking because he did not see the spray and did not hear screams. But when Bethany swam ashore, Blanchard saw blood in the water and realized that the situation was not a joke.
Bethany's friends used t-shirts and a urethane surfboard to stop the bleeding, and no doubt saved the girl’s life. Despite all the measures taken, she lost 60% of her blood and almost died on her way to the hospital. If the bite came at least a little higher, he would become fatal.
By a strange irony of fate, when Bethany Hamilton was brought to the hospital, her father was in the operating room, who had a planned knee operation. He had already been anesthetized, but the procedure had to be interrupted in order to manage to save the young athlete. The doctors did everything they could, and, fortunately, their efforts were successful.
After the tragedy
The next few days were foggy. Operations, droppers, dressings. But time passed and anxiety arose for later life. “I began to worry about the future: will I really have to forget about surfing forever? What will i do?" - says Hamilton. And, of course, Bethany was afraid that others would feel sorry for her and consider her inferior.
Therefore, only three weeks after the tragedy, Hamilton found the strength to return to the sea.
“Back in the surf, I was very afraid of sharks,” says Bethany. “Attacks like what happened to me are rare, but I was still thinking about it. To combat this fear, I just climbed into the water and focused on the wave. I forbade myself to think in the spirit of "what if ...".
“I have not seen the shark attack,” the surfer admits, “If I had, I’m not sure if I could live with this nightmare or ever return to the water.” She also believes that ignorance helped her stay calm right after the bite — and that calm might have saved her life. Bethany lost over 60% of her blood volume, and in the event of a panic, this figure could be even greater.
Re-learning the technique of surfing in the absence of one hand was not an easy task. “I was very unpleasant,” says Bethany, ““ On other days, I just went into the water and came out of it in tears. But still, I continued to persist. ” And her determination paid off.
A little over a year later, surfer Bethany Hamilton won her first national competition. In 2007, she fulfilled a long-held dream by starting to surf professionally, winning numerous competitions, receiving numerous awards, sponsor support and worldwide fame. Anyone who has tried to learn surfing knows how difficult this sport is. It requires endurance, strength, a sense of balance and dexterity. But in the performance of Bethany Hamilton, gliding along the waves looks amazingly easy - she copes with one right! In 2016, the girl took third place in the championship in Fiji, confirming her status as one of the best surfers in the world.
Life on the wave
The athlete tried herself in literary work, becoming the author of the popular autobiography "Soul Surfer", released in 2004. In 2011, Bethany Hamilton was waiting for another success: the book was filmed, and the film of the same name was released. The role of the famous surfer took on the actress Annasophia Robb. All of the many tricks on the waves professionally performed by the real Bethany Hamilton. The film due to this turned out to be truly documentary. The touching and truthful Soul Surfer scenes make the viewer sincerely admire this wonderful young woman who turned her personal tragedy into a great triumph.
Charity
Now Bethany Hamilton, whose photo you see in the article, participates in numerous charity campaigns, including her own fund "Bethany's friends", which reaches out to help people with disabilities and victims of shark attacks.
In particular, in 2005, the girl made a trip to Phuket, where she worked with orphans and victims of the recent tsunami, urging them not to be afraid of water and teaching the basics of surfing.
Philosophy of Overcoming
Although a shark attack is not something that can be considered a rewarding experience, Bethany Hamilton accepted it as part of her life and even found some positive aspects. “One of the finest things I learned from this incident is knowing that I can overcome difficulties,” says Hamilton. “I have the opportunity to overcome fear.”
In addition, Hamilton is pleased to be an inspiring example for other amputated young people and girls in general.
Bethany continues to travel, enjoy life and find new adventures. “There are no two days alike,” says Hamilton, “this is part of what makes the world so exciting.”
Personal life
In 2012, fate brought Bethany with an avid surfer Adam Dirks, who came to Hawaii from Kansas, and this acquaintance grew into a tender friendship. “When she came home from travel, we went on long hikes or surfed. No dinners or dates at the cinema. Many wonderful hours together, ”said Adam. A year later, the lovers got married, and after a while they admitted that they expect replenishment of the family.
In publicly announcing her pregnancy, Bethany said: “I often forget that I have one hand .... I think it will be very difficult to deal with one hand, but I will find a way to take care of the baby. We’ll have to get creative ... Being a mom is an exciting new adventure. ”
Now the son of Bethany and Adam, Tobias, is already a year old, and happy parents are preparing to introduce him to a family hobby - surfing.