Where Is Life， There Is Struggle
佚名 / Anonymous
Bethany Hamilton began her career as a surfer with her first competition at age 11. By age 13， she was an accomplished surfer and well-respected in the surfing world.
Her lifelong dream of becoming a professional surfer was interrupted on October 31， 2003. She was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore.
The attack left Bethany with a severed arm but did not destroy her eagerness and courage to continue to pursue her dream. If anything， it just made her stronger.
“I know I have something important to say. It’s something that people need to hear. But sometimes they get so caught up in the story about me losing my arm that they miss the meaning，” says Bethany Hamilton.
Bethany has chosen to use her experience to become an inspiration and help others to overcome adversity， no matter how big. “People I don’t even know come up to me. I guess they see me as a symbol of courage and inspiration.”
“One thing hasn’t changed. How I feel when I’m riding a wave is just as great as before. It’s like， here I am. I'm still here. It’s still me and my board.”
Since losing her arm， Bethany has featured all over the media， both nationally and internationally. Her story has been told in dozens of newspapers， magazines， news shows， talk shows， commercials， and more. She has graced the cover of magazines and has starred in a TV episode.
She has appeared on Oprah， The Tonight Show， 20/20， and Ellen. She’s also been on the covers of People Magazine， Time Magazine， and numerous others.
The number of times her story has been featured on TV is hard to count. Bethany is sponsored by the Rip Curl surf wear company. She had a book released on October 5， 2004. Filming of a movie started in 2005.
Bethany has been awarded the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete. She was also presented with a special Courage Award by Janet Jackson at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards.