NathanFearing Her Own Fears
Bethany needed to get over her fears so she would often sing and pray. She needed to be patient and work hard to find that peace of mind she once had. But for someone who stayed relatively calm during a shark attack, that calmness, and state of fearlessness had to still be inside of her. She was working hard on her mentality but her physical state had already shown amazing progress. She even designed a surfboard that was slightly longer than the normal boards to accommodate her better, with a handle present…
On Her Feet Again
Even after just 3 months of her traumatic attack, Bethany would join her next competition. She surprised everyone and even herself when she ended up bagging the first place! She had a lot of alterations in her life after losing an arm but nevertheless, she was still a surfer at heart. Even though she had a prosthetic arm, it was not waterproof plus it was heavy, so she rarely uses it. She decided to join the competitions with just an arm and she did this will pride and joy.
A Champion
By the year of 2004, in the month of October, Bethany Hamilton achieved the National Scholastic Surfing Association title champion in Australia. This was not even a year after the attack. When she returned back to her home in America, she ended up bagging the same title there as well. Bethany had worked hard for this and to see that her dedication and strive was paying off was an amazing feeling for her. She did not let her disability bring her down but instead embrace it. What was the next move for her then?
Some Charity Work
In Southeast Asia, in the month of December 2004, a terrible earthquake and tsunami left the residents there homeless and devastated. Bethany Hamilton saw that these people were in need of help so she did not waste any time, deciding to go there and help out. She quickly booked a ticket to Thailand where she was a volunteer for three Thai seaside villages that had been demolished by the tsunami. She ended up teaching many kids how to surf and who better than her to act as a teacher for these kids right?
Rethinking The Water
The attack that Bethany had to go through had a lot of other consequences when it came down to Bethany and her family. Not only did Bethany have to learn how to live her daily life as an amputee, her whole family had to adjust themselves as well. Since they were a family of surfers, Bethany’s experience made them a little more cautious and conscious of the water and the danger it holds. Since sharks are known to hunt during dawn and dusk, they knew not to go surfing this time around. They still had a lot of experiences worth noting in the waters nevertheless.
Facing Danger
If you find yourself in Kauai, you will often find yourself in the midst of sharks if you surf there long enough. Bethany’s mother has stated that Bethany had run into sharks, in dangerous circumstances about 3 more times following the tiger shark attack. Once, a five-foot hammerhead shark was spotted gliding right underneath her surfboard. She immediately got out of the water after this incident but Bethany refused to be overpowered by this fear since she had gone through so much already.