Promotions
Crew Spotlights: Bethany Hamilton
They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else
could one explain
the tremendous passion that drives her to surf? How else could
one explain that nothing, not
even the loss of her arm in a horrific shark attack -- could come
between her and the waves?
"Ever since the day I lost my arm in a shark attack, my life’s
purpose has been to share
the love of Jesus Christ and his message of hope, inspiration,
courage, and peace…."
That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii -- a glorious part of
the world, where it's
hard to deny the divine -- Bethany responded to the shark's stealth
attack with the calm
of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside,
she immediately began to
paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: "Get to
the beach...." Rushed to the
hospital, where her father, Tom Hamilton, was about to undergo
knee surgery, Bethany found
herself taking his spot in the O.R. It's the kind of coincidence
that isn't mere coincidence
to the Hamilton family, a clan whose motto could easily be "the
family that surfs and prays
together stays together." To them it was a sign someone had
a greater plan than the
one they'd been working on themselves -- which had been to scrape
together whatever
resources they could to help Bethany rise to the top of her sport.
When the first thing
Bethany wanted to know after surgery was "When can I surf
again?" it became clear that
her unfaltering spirit and determination were part of a greater
story -- a tale of courage
and faith that this modest and soft-spoken girl would come to
share with the world.
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