Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton
Hamilton surfing in 2016
Born	Bethany Meilani Hamilton (1990-02-08) February 8, 1990 (age 34) Lihue, Hawaii, U.S.
Spouse	Adam Dirks ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4
Personal information
Residence	Kauai, Hawaii, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1]
Weight	154 lb (70 kg)
Surfing career
Best year	2016
Sponsors	Rip Curl
Major achievements	ESPY Award (2004) NSSA National Helping Kids Champion (2005) 2nd place, ASP World Junior Championships (2008)
Surfing specifications
Stance	Goofy[1]
Website	bethanyhamilton.com

Bethany Meilani Hamilton (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional surfer and writer. In 2003, she survived a shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off; ultimately, she returned to professional surfing and wrote about her experiences in the 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. The book was adapted into the 2011 feature film, Soul Surfer. Hamilton attributes her strength to her Christian faith.

Hamilton is also the subject of a 2018 documentary, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, in which she discusses how marriage and motherhood have affected her professional surfing career.