How Much Blood did Bethany Hamilton Lose? Incidentally, Hamilton’s father was already present at the hospital for a surgical procedure of his own.īethany took his place.

The unthinkable happened when a 14-foot tiger shark attacked Bethany, severing her arm below the shoulder.įriend Alana, her father, and her brother helped Bethany back to shore where she was transported to the hospital. However, on Halloween in 2003, a 13-year-old Bethany went for a surf with her friend Alana Blanchard. How Old Was Bethany Hamilton When She Lost Her Armīethany Hamilton’s future certainly looked bright. In 1999, Rip Curl Surfboards noticed Bethany’s talent and offered to sponsor her not long after, Angel Eyewear and Gallaz Shoes followed suit.īethany was only 10 years old. In fact, she earned her first sponsorship at the young age of 9 years old. Hamilton wasn’t just a fan of the sport, though. When we are broken, He brings healing.How did Bethany Hamilton become a professional surfer?īethany Hamilton, whose full name is Bethany Meilani Hamilton, was born in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii on February 8, 1990.Īs a native Hawaiian, she began surfing at an early age-she was just 8 years old when she caught her first wave. When we turn our backs on God, His arms are still wide open. When we are lost and distant, He is there with us. We can be assured that when we fail, God still loves and accepts us as we are. She sees surfing as a “gift from God” and writes, “For Adam and me, our journeys have been heavily reliant on the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. Hamilton, who is married to youth pastor Adam Dirks and has three children, speaks openly and often about her faith in God and how he has sustained her through the challenges she has faced. In 2016, when competing in the WSL, she beat a six-time world champion who was the top-ranked surfer in the world.

She won her first national surfing title two years later and turned professional at age 17. She not only survived the attack but actually returned to surfing one month later. At the age of 13, a 14-foot tiger shark bit off her left arm while Hamilton was out surfing. The ISA’s policy states, “An athlete who was assigned male at birth and whose gender has changed and identifies as a woman, and/or has woman/female, ‘other’ or ‘X’ on her passport or national identity card” may compete as a woman so long as “her serum testosterone concentration has been less than 5 nmol/L continuously for a period of the previous 12 months.” These individuals must also meet “any other requirements reasonably set by the Executive Committee and/or Medical Commission.”īethany Hamilton is a professional surfer, author, speaker and advocate. 6, the World Surf League announced that it had adopted the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) transgender policy. A post shared by Bethany Hamilton Hamilton Raises Questions About Policy

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton