Shark-attack victim’s tale inspires others
Published: July 10, 2005
Book and movie deals, a fragrance line and a popular Web site were the last things on Bethany Hamilton’s mind the moment she lost her left arm to a tiger shark in Kauai, Hawaii.
God was the first, and wondering whether she would ever ride the waves again was a close second, said the 15-year-old competitive surfer, who was 13 when the shark attacked.
“I’m lucky I’m alive,” Bethany said Saturday. “I just know God has a future for me.”
To promote the release of her book, Soul Surfer, a tale of her tragedy in relation to her faith, Bethany visited Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington on Saturday night; it houses one of the nation’s largest Christian congregations.
The 213-page book, dedicated to Jesus Christ and Bethany’s family, has made the Los Angeles Times’ best-seller list.
But members at Willow Creek seemed more impressed that Bethany continued surfing and kept her religious faith.
“We invited her here because in a Christian community, she is more evidence that having a relationship with God really makes the difference,” said Mark Weinert, a member of the church’s board of directors.
In October 2003, as the ocean waters churned red with her blood, Bethany said she prayed on the half-mile, 25-minute trip back to shore with her friends. She said she also prayed in the ambulance with the help of a paramedic.
Bethany, a lean blond who wore a Hawaiian lei to the event, has placed in the finals of the National Surfing Championships and has landed herself on the 2005 USA Surf Team since the attack. She’s also selling men’s and women’s fragrances packaged in surfboard bottles, called “Wired” and “Stoked,” and says she expects the movie about her ordeal to begin filming soon.
Nicole Mathes, 12, of Algonquin, who is battling scoliosis and other ailments, traveled on crutches to hear Bethany speak. She said she hoped to one day return to dancing much like Bethany has continued surfing.
“I like how she got back in the water and how she never gave up,” Nicole said.
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Soul Surfer : A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the BoardAs fans lined up to buy her book and get her autograph, some said they appreciated that Bethany has promised to donate a percentage of receipts from her commercial endeavors to World Vision, an evangelical Christian aid organization.
“She’s doing good with the opportunity she has,” said Matthew Regan, 23. “She’s taking a bad tragedy in a good direction.”
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