Bethany Hamilton: (Movie: Soul Surfer) lost her arm and nearly lost her life in a vicious shark attack, Two years later she won first place in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships

Bethany Hamilton - Bethany Meilani Hamilton (born February 8, 1990) is an American surfer. She is known for surviving a shark attack in which she lost her left arm, and for overcoming the serious and debilitating injury to return to surfing. On October 31, 2003, Hamilton went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai. Around 7:10 a.m., she was lying sideways on her surfboard with her left arm dangling in the water, when a tiger shark attacked her, ripping her left arm off just below the shoulder. Just eight weeks after the incident, she returned to her board and went surfing again. In July of 2004 Hamilton won the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete of the Year. She was presented with a special courage award at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards. Hamilton still aspires to become a professional surfer.

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Bethany Hamilton

Raised by surfers in Hawaii, Bethany Hamilton was born to be in the water. A natural surfer, she began competing professionally as a young child. However, at 13, she lost her arm and nearly lost her life in a vicious shark attack. One month later she was back on her surfboard with a determined spirit and positive attitude. Two years later she won first place in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships. Now, the professional surfer shares her inspirational message of hope with millions of people and her story has been made into an inspiring major motion picture, Soul Surfer, in theaters April 8, 2011, starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid.