Bethany Hamilton | Biography, Surfing, & Facts (2024)

Bethany Hamilton (born February 8, 1990, Lihue, Hawaii, U.S.) is an American professional surfer, author, and motivational speaker who lost her arm to a shark while surfing when she was 13 years old. She served as an inspiration to people when she returned to surfing shortly after the attack, despite her serious injury.

Bethany Hamilton is one of three children of Tom and Cheri Hamilton, who are both avid surfers and worked together at the Kauai Surf Hotel on Kauai’s Kalapaki Beach. She has two brothers, Noah and Timothy. Bethany was frequently exposed to surfing as a child, and she began participating herself at a young age. She was homeschooled after sixth grade so she could devote more time to surfing, and she quickly began to make a name for herself in the sport. She received her first sponsorship at age nine, and soon after she competed in regional and national surfing competitions, scoring well and winning some contests.

On October 31, 2003, Hamilton went surfing off Makua (Tunnels) Beach in Ha’ena, Kauai, with a friend. She was lying sideways on her surfboard with her left arm hanging in the water, when suddenly she could feel herself being pulled back and forth. A 14-foot (4.3-metre) tiger shark was attacking her, and it bit off her left arm just below the shoulder. She held on to her board while the blood she lost during the attack turned the surrounding water red. Friends immediately called for help, and Hamilton was rushed to a hospital. She lost more than half the blood in her body and underwent several surgeries, but she was able to return to surfing a month later. Within the year Hamilton was once again entering competitions, and she adjusted her technique to compensate for the lost limb. She continued her success in the surfing world, earning a national surfing title in 2005. In 2008 she began her first season of competition in the World Surf League (WSL). Over time, she competed and performed well in many WSL events.

Hamilton became more popular through the release of her books and movies about her life. She published the book Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board in 2004. Written with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh, it tells the story of Hamilton’s loss and how she regained her competitive edge as a surfer. In 2007 Hamilton starred in the documentary Heart of a Soul Surfer, which discusses her journey back to surfing after the shark attack. The movie Soul Surfer, a dramatized retelling of Hamilton’s surfing career and shark incident, was released in 2011. The movie featured archived footage of Hamilton surfing, and she served as a surfing stunt double for her character.

Hamilton’s book with Dustin Dillberg, Body & Soul: A Girl’s Guide to a Fit, Fun, and Fabulous Life (2014), explores healthy living and includes recipes and workouts. In 2018 Hamilton released two books: Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up, which includes numerous photographs of Hamilton surfing, quotes intended to inspire readers, and life lessons involving religious faith and courage, and Unstoppable Me, a children’s picture book that she wrote with her husband, Adam Dirks, about a surfing lion who finds the courage to return to the waves after wiping out. The documentary Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable follows her life from childhood through marriage and parenthood, as well as her journey balancing her personal life and surfing career. It was released in theatres in 2019. As a public speaker, Hamilton has shared advice about persevering through personal challenges. She has also discussed her relationship with her Christian faith. In 2022 Hamilton returned to surfing and motivational speaking, though in 2023 she announced that she would not compete in WSL events because she disagreed with the league’s policies enabling transgender athletes to compete.

In 2013 Hamilton married Dirks, a youth minister. She has three sons: Tobias (born 2015), Wesley (born 2018), and Micah (born 2021).