A promising young surfer, 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton’s world changed forever when she lost an arm in a shark attack. Speaking of her “What I can relate to with Allie Beth Stuckey,” Bethany detailed how her family’s faith in God helped her during this difficult time.
“My father worked really hard, working two or three jobs at a time, so we had a really simple childhood. They gave me so much time and faith in God… So when I lost my arm, it was almost like my mother was ready. They raised me in the faith, they prayed with me, they read the Bible to me at bedtime, we went to church…so when chaos came, I was ready. I did.”
She also explained how she had to relearn to surf and what inspired her to return to the water after just 21 days.
“For me, surfing was more than just a childhood hobby. I think it was a way of life, a culture, an art, a sport.”
According to Bethany, the physical journey was actually quite easy, but while surfing she regained her confidence and realized how to do things differently with only one arm, or what she calls “Bethany’s version of surfing.” It took some time to do so. She also explained how frustrating it was to find a way to live life with only one arm, but that her faith in God and her divine plan for life kept her going. she explained.
She also talked about how she met her husband, motherhood, and even surfing while pregnant. Bethany said she had better waves during her pregnancy and surfed throughout her pregnancy, which seems to be a normal thing in Hawaii.
Bethany is also an outspoken advocate for the protection of women’s sports, including her own work in speaking out against World Surf League rules that allow competition between biological males, particularly men and women, in women’s sports. He explained the choice as follows:
“I also find a lot of it very interesting because if women just said no, I don’t think this would be a problem. If all female surfers, 70% disagree. [the rule]If they all say no, the World Surf League will have no choice. ”
In the full episode, Bethany delves into her faith, becoming famous, and her partnership with pro-life diaper brand EveryLife.
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