Bethany Hamilton By Sarah F. Age: 13 Soul Surfer: I don t need easy, I just need possible. Table of Contents: 1. Expository Section.2 2. Diary Entry 5 3. Radio Program..6 4. Jeremiah 29:11 Devotional.9 5. Soul Surfer Movie Review 10 6. Bethany Hamilton Photo Album..11 7. Explanation of Genres.14 8.Works Cited.16 Page 1
Bethany Hamilton s Encouraging Story Bethany jumped into the ocean and paddled past the impact zone. She smiled as she caught a few waves and then dove into the water. She paddled around a bit more then stopped to relax and her left arm dangled in the water. Bethany saw a grey blur then suddenly she felt a tug on her arm. She saw the water around her turn blood red as her best friend, Alana, screamed in terror. Bethany looked at her left arm and saw that is was gone. She told herself to get the beach. Holt Blanchard rushed over to Bethany. He pulled off his white swim shirt and wrapped it around the stub of what was left of her arm. Holt and Alana pushed Bethany to the shore. Bethany did not scream when it happened, but she knew right away that she was in trouble. Throughout her life Bethany trusted that God had a plan for her, remaining strong and courageous, even in light of all the challenges put before her. Bethany Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990 in Hawaii. Her parents, Tom and Cheri, had two sons already so they were very excited to finally have a girl. Tom and Cheri were die hard surfers; so Cheri prayed that Bethany would love the ocean as much as the rest of the family, but there was no need to worry. Cheri said, Bethany was born with saltwater in her veins and took to the ocean like a fish. Bethany s mom taught her how to swim and soon after Bethany was winning swim meets in her age group. Swim team helped her endurance in the water and by age seven Bethany could swim a whole mile without being exhausted. This would be a big help when surfing far out from shore. Bethany s competitive nature comes from growing up with two older brothers, Noah and Tim. All these things came together to shape Bethany into an amazing surfer (Hamilton). Bethany usually surfed with her lifelong friend Alana Blanchard. Their moms used to call them mermaids because they were in the ocean more than they were on land. Bethany and Alana did swim team and surf team together. They were the only girls on the surf team. They quickly gained endurance, confidence, and skill. Soon they were winning contests, taking turns at first and second place in the girls section of competitions. When Bethany was eight years old she competed in her very first surfing competition. At age nine she got her first major surf sponsorships. As Bethany and Alana s competition schedule got busier and they began to travel more so typical school was not an option. They began doing school online. This way their surfing careers were on a fast-track together. Bethany s whole family helped with her surfing career. Her brother, Tim, encouraged her to paddle into bigger waves. Her mom and dad took hours of video of her surfing. Noah took hundreds of pictures. Watching herself surf helped her to catch and correct mistakes and therefore get better (Hamilton). At thirteen years old Bethany s chance at becoming a professional surfer was looking more and more likely. Her mom talked about how being a Christian would affect her career. They believed that her career would not be a way to gain money, trophies, or accolades, but a way to give glory to God. Just a few weeks before the shark attack. Bethany s mom prayed this with her: Lord, bring Bethany into the center of your will and use her surfing to glorify and honor your name, (Hamilton). They did not know that God would use her through a shark attack. Page 2
Bethany Hamilton was attacked off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, at a surf spot called Tunnels, on October 31, 2003. She was out surfing with her best friend Alana Blanchard, Holt Blanchard, Alana s dad, and Byron Blanchard, Alana s brother. They had gone out to have some fun in the calm waves. Bethany was attacked by a fourteen-foot long tiger shark. Tiger sharks are the most dangerous sharks in the Hawaiian waters. Tiger sharks have saw-edged teeth that make the animal deadly (Sandler 5). No one saw the shark until Bethany saw a grey blur as it attacked her. When it attacked, Bethany was about a quarter of a mile off shore. Bethany did not scream when it happened, but she knew that she needed to get to the shore. The tiger shark simply bit her and took off. Amazingly it didn t go after anyone else. Tiger sharks normally come back for another bite but miraculously this one didn t. Holt sent Byron ahead to call the paramedics as he and Alana pulled Bethany to shore (Hamilton 71-72). When they got to the shore, a crowd gathered around Bethany. Holt used a shark leash as a tourniquet on Bethany s arm (Hamilton). By then she had started to feel that pain. She felt cold as she passed in and out of consciousness. People wrapped her in towels. Finally an ambulance arrived. Bethany had lost so much blood and it was nearly an hour to the hospital. The paramedics thought that she would die under the conditions. The driver drove as fast as he could (Sandler 18 19). Bethany remembers very distinctly the paramedic softly saying to her, God will never leave you or forsake you as he held her hand and they pulled out of parking lot of the Tunnels surf spot. Bethany knew he was right and she felt comforted (Hamilton 79). The fact that Bethany didn t scream when the shark attacked shows that she is a very brave person. Bethany says that now people say to her, Weren t you terrified? Didn t you think you might be eaten alive? That would be the normal reaction, but it wasn t hers. She says maybe she was in shock, denial or maybe autopilot. She is not really sure, but when she looks back on it now, she is glad of one thing: She is glad she never saw the shark closing in on her. She is glad she never had more than a split second to wrap her brain around the fact that she was being attacked. If she had, she is not sure she would have been so calm. Bethany is not sure she would be able to live with the nightmares or ever get back in the water (Hamilton 69). Bethany was taken to Kauai s Wilcox Memorial Hospital. At the hospital, the surgeons rushed Bethany into an operating room. Bethany had lost about 60 percent of her blood and need blood transfusions. Dr. Rovinsky and Dr. Pierce would be operating on her. Dr. Rovinsky explained how the operation would go. He told her that he would have to find and cut the nerves causing them to retract and reduce the potential for a phenomenon that they call phantom pain. Phantom pain is the sharp feeling of pain in a portion of limb that no longer exists in reality but still sends signals to the brain. Then Dr. Pierce would do the second surgery where he would close the wound, using a flap of Bethany s skin (Hamilton 97-98). While in recovery, one of the first things Bethany asked was when she could go surfing again (Sandler 20). Bethany put on a brave face for everyone, but she couldn t pretend it didn t get to her at times. She had this thought every second of her life: Why me? Not necessarily in a negative way-like Why did this horrible thing happen to me? but more Why did God choose me and what does He have in mind for me? (Hamilton 106). She didn t like the looks of pity that people gave her when they saw her bandages. She wanted to tell them not to feel sorry for her. She was still the same person she was before the attack. But she wasn t one hundred percent Page 3
the same. The attack had made her stronger, though she didn t know it yet. Bethany was still the same on the inside but she was discovering that everyday tasks had suddenly become really difficult. How could she possibly get dressed with one arm? How was she supposed to tie her shoes? She had to hold oranges between her feet to be able to peel them. This frustrated her a little bit but she rose above it, knowing that there were more important things in life than being able to peel an orange (Sandler 19 22). Bethany s story quickly became a huge news hit. Outside the hospital there was a growing chaos of press. Everyone wanted to know more about the girl who survived a shark attack. When it was time to go home friends found the family a quiet little beach house to escape all the press. Bethany, Alana, and their youth leader, Sarah Hill, decided to go to the local market. They decided to disguise Bethany with a wig so she wouldn t be recognized (Hamilton). Before the week was over there had been several reports of a ragged-finned shark harassing surfers on the north shore. Bill Hamilton, a famous surfer in Hawaii, asked Bethany s parents and others in the area if he could hunt down the shark. He paired up with Ralph Young, Bill Hamilton s friend, and together they fished for a shark for five days. They finally caught the shark with a ragged fin that had bitten Bethany. A few months later Ralph gave Bethany a tooth from that shark (Hamilton). Bethany knew she probably was never going to surf again and she should forget about it. But she couldn t. The attack hadn t taken away her love for the sport. She wasn t going to give up her lifelong dream. Sarah Hill encouraged Bethany by telling her, God gave you the gift of surfing, and I don t think he has taken it away from you, (Hamilton). While Bethany was trying to surf again her dad told her that it was not going to be easy. Bethany Replied saying, I don t need easy, I just need possible. Less than a month after she lost her arm she was back on her board. Getting in the waves wasn t as easy as it had been before the attack. Paddling with one arm was almost as hard for her as standing up on her board. Before the attack all this was like a second nature to her. Still catching her first wave made all that worthwhile. Bethany remembered riding that wave all the way to the beach. And after that she just had tears of happiness. Bethany was able to get back the surfing skills that she had very quickly and was even placing in competitions about a month later (Sandler 23 25). Bethany Hamilton believes that something good came from something terrible. She wants to make a difference in the world. Bethany wants to help others deal with their pain and loss. The most important thing Bethany wants to do is encourage people to follow their dreams, no matter how impossible it may seem (Sandler 26). Two years after the attack when Bethany was 15 years old she went on mission s trip to Thailand. Thailand had just experienced a tsunami (BethanyHamilton.com). She met kids who had lost their parents in the tsunami. Later that year she helped raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Bethany was a joyful person even after losing her arm and that inspired the people of Thailand (Sandler 26). Today Bethany is still surfing and has won many awards. Her success and quick comeback after the attack has inspired many people to follow their dreams and to never give up. "Friends of Bethany Hamilton" is a charity established by family and friends. Their mission is to reach out to encourage a broken world by offering hope to overcome through Jesus Christ. Page 4
They seek to give comfort in a difficult time through Operation Overcome (BethanyHamilton.com). They offer help to shark attack survivors and amputees (Hamilton). Bethany is currently 26 years old and lives in Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii with her husband, Adam Dirks, and her son, Tobias. She speaks at events all across the world inspiring others with her story of overcoming obstacles with determination and hope (BethanyHamilton.com). Bethany continues to trust God as she surfs and shares her inspiring story. Diary Entry December 5, 2003 Dear Diary, So today, I was out at rock quarry, working on my surfing with my family again. I am slowly making progress, but it will take a little while before I can compete again. I am getting better. I am still having a bit of a hard time standing up on the board and getting past the impact zone. Noah has been videoing me while I practice, so that he can tell me why I fell off or what I need to do to fix something that is wrong with my form. I am so thankful that he is helping me so much. He is such a great brother. I really hope that I can get back to how I used to be before the attack. When it was so easy to get past the impact zone and stand up on the board. I have been praying about it a lot. Praying comforts me because I am talking to God and that makes me feel calm. When I was about to go surfing for the first time after the attack, my family kept telling me that it wasn t going to be easy. I told them that I don t need easy, I just need possible. My mom says that she is proud of me for jumping back and getting back on the board. I just hope that eventually I can compete again. My dad added a handle to the front of my board so that I can hold onto it when I am duck diving, so that I have something to hold onto. I like it because without it I lose control of the board under water. My whole family has been supportive of me surfing again. They get a bit worried every once in a while, but they can t help it. Mom keeps telling me that she hasn t stopped praying since I started surfing again, so that I would get back to competition soon. She says that if it is in God s plan that it will happen. I really hope it is. Surfing is everything to me and I have not lost it. I really hope to get back into competitive surfing because that is even more of a rush then just surfing. Well, I have to go to bed. I will write again tomorrow. Yours, Bethany Page 5
Radio Program with Bethany Hamilton and Alana Blanchard News Anchor: Hello, Kauai, Hawaii! Welcome to Aloha Kakahiaka. We have a special guest today. I am proud to welcome Bethany Hamilton and her friend, Alana Blanchard. Hello Bethany and Alana. Bethany Hamilton: Hey. Alana Blanchard: Hey. News Anchor: It is so great to have you both here. Bethany Hamilton: It s good to be here. Alana Blanchard: Ditto. News Anchor: So, why don t you girls tell us a little about yourselves? Bethany and Alana: Well, we are both 15 years old. News Anchor: So it has been two years since you were attacked is that right, Bethany? Bethany Hamilton: Yeah, that is correct. News Anchor: How do you two spend your time? Bethany and Alana: We spend nearly all our time surfing because that is what we love to do. News Anchor: Well that goes without saying, but what else do you do? Bethany Hamilton: Well, I just got back from a missions trip to Phuket, Thailand. News Anchor: That sounds fun! What did you do while you were there? Bethany Hamilton: Well, we handed out water and served food, but I really enjoyed helping them back into the water. They were so afraid since the tsunami killed many people and destroyed their homes. I walked out into the water and showed them that the water wasn t so bad and they eventually came out and joined me. It was amazing. The kids seemed so happy to be back in the water. After I showed them that it was safe, they ran down to play. Page 6
News Anchor: Well that sounds like it was an amazing trip. Bethany Hamilton: It was amazing. News Anchor: Now can you tell us a little about the attack. Bethany: Sure. Let s see. Well, I was out surfing with Alana, Her father, Holt, and brother, Byron. We were paddling around the reef and seeing who could catch the best waves. I was relaxing on my board with my left arm hanging in the water. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a grey blur and then I felt a tug on my arm and heard the sound of his teeth sawing through the board. I saw the water around me turn blood red. I felt no pain, just the need to get to the shore. I started to paddle in that direction as Holt rushed over to help. Byron was swimming ahead to call the paramedics and I just kept telling myself to get to shore. Alana Blanchard: I screamed when I saw it attack and the water turning blood red. I feared that the shark might come back because once a shark has tasted you it normally comes back for more. I saw my dad rush over to her and my brother paddling towards shore as fast as he could as I sat the frozen. I was so scared. Finally, I forced myself to move to help Bethany and help push her to shore as she paddled with one arm. Bethany Hamilton: When we got to shore that is when I started to feel the pain. I was so cold. People started to gather around me and they wrapped me in towels. I asked for water and Byron ran to find someone who could get me some water. Instead he ended up finding a doctor. The doctor tied something around the stump of my arm to slow the bleeding. Alana Blanchard: While everyone else was helping her I sat alone. I was so scared I barely allowed myself to breath. When the paramedics finally arrived they rushed Bethany to the hospital. When I got word a few days later that she was awake and healthy I was so relieved. I wanted to jump for joy. News Anchor: Wow. That is amazing. How long did it take to get to the shore? Bethany Hamilton: About twenty minutes. News Anchor: This is amazing. How long did it take you to get back into competition? Page 7
Bethany Hamilton: Less than a month after the attack I was back into surfing. When I told my dad I wanted to surf again he told me that it was not going to be easy. I told him that, I don t need easy, I just need possible. I feel that people limit themselves by whether they think something will be hard. Anyone can do something if it is possible, and anything is possible with God. News Anchor: That is amazing. Bethany Hamilton: After the attack, I involved myself in as many charities as I could. I even started my own charity called, Friends of Bethany that helps amputees and youth through faith. News Anchor: Well that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for coming. Bethany and Alana: No prob. News Anchor: All right next up we get to talk to President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush! Page 8
Jeremiah 29:11 Devotional By Bethany Hamilton For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that no matter what happens it is in God s plan. Nothing can go against his plan. So if you don t make it onto the varsity volleyball team or the mathletes, then that is what was supposed to happen. He didn t want you on that team. Instead of being sad about that you should look at the good that could come from it. Maybe since you didn t make it onto the team you should spend that free time doing something productive. You could practice and get better so that maybe you make it next year. Maybe you did not get on the team because God wanted you to learn what it is like to work for something. Maybe you could spend that time working more on your school. You could also use this time to read your bible or raise money for an orphanage. While I was in the hospital my youth leader, Sarah Hill, told me this verse and it helped me stay calm through everything that was going on. I also remember, saying while I was in the hospital, that maybe I lost my arm so that I could tell people about Jesus. Now as a surfer, I am able to share my faith with many people. When something doesn t go your way, before you get all bummed out, you should look at the good that could come from that, because God has a reason for everything that happens. But that doesn t mean we don t have a choice. That goes for everyone. You just have to believe that it is possible and tell yourself, I don t need easy, I just need possible. So when something happens that you don t like look at the good not the bad look for what God is making possible. Page 9
Soul Surfer Movie Review The Soul Surfer movie is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton. Anna-Sophia Robb plays Bethany Hamilton in the movie. Before the movie was shot, Anna-Sophia Robb had to learn to surf and I think she did great for having just learned how to surf. The actors do a great job of showing the family and friend s struggles. When Bethany (Anna-Sophia Robb) gets attacked, they do a great job making it look real. However, they don t show the people on the beach when they get to the shore and Byron never finds the doctor while trying to get water for Bethany. Perhaps they did not want to take the attention off of Bethany. When Bethany was attacked, her dad had been going in for surgery on his knee. They had to stop his surgery and take him out of the operating room so that Bethany would be able to go in that room. In the movie as Bethany is being rolled into the hospital she passes her dad and he tries to get to her, but can barely stand because he had been numbed from the waist down for his surgery. The movie does not show much footage of Bethany (Anna-Sophia Robb) in the hospital. Also, when it is time to leave the hospital, they have Bethany and her mom going back to their actually house, but really their friends had rented a house for them to stay in for a while after the attack. They have a scene where Bethany is telling her dad that she wants to surf again. I love that they included the quote from Bethany where she says, I don t need easy, I just need possible. They movie moves very quickly through the time when Bethany learns to surf again. I think they could have included more of her struggle. A little fun fact is that Bethany was actually in the movie. If you look for her, you can see her in the scenes in Phuket, Thailand. The movie was good. I feel like maybe they could have had some of the scenes more like how they actually happened, but other than that, it is great. I think Bethany was pleased with how the movie turned out. The movie does not follow exactly what happened, but overall it showed Bethany s courage and determination to surf again even when she only had one arm. Page 10
Bethany Hamilton Photo Album This is Bethany with her mother, Cheri Hamilton, in 2003 after the shark attack. This is Bethany with her Board that she was on when she was attacked. They finally caught the shark with a ragged fin and its bite matched the one left in Bethany s surfboard. Page 11
This is Bethany a few days after she got back on the board after the shark attack. When she was about to go surfing for the first time, her dad told her that getting back to where she was before the attack wasn t going to be easy. Bethany told him, I don t need easy, I just need possible. This is Bethany Hamilton and her family on Christmas morning 2015. When she was growing up in Kauai, Christmas Morning always started with a morning surf session instead of gifts gifts came later. Page 12
This is Bethany with her husband, Adam, and her son, Tobias, on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016. Bethany and her husband, Adam, speaking at the Brunch with Bethany Event in Delaware on April 9, 2016. Page 13
Bethany Hamilton Diary Entry Explanation of Genres The diary entry is supposed to portray how Bethany felt while she was getting back into surfing. I tried to make it sound like a thirteen-year-old girl was writing it. She talks about how her brother is helping her with her surfing. I included two new pieces of factual information in this genre and they are: Noah has been videoing me while I practice, so that he can tell me why I fell off or what I need to do to fix something wrong with my form. My dad added a handle to the front of my board so that I can hold onto it when I am duck diving, so that I have something to hold onto. Factual Information Sources: Sandler p.24 http://bethanyhamilton.com/gallery2/ Radio Program with Bethany Hamilton and Alana Blanchard Bethany Hamilton was interviewed many times after the attack. Everyone wanted to hear her story. This interview is fictional. I tried to make Bethany and Alana sound like fifteen-year-old girls. I included two new pieces of information: They were so afraid since the tsunami killed many people and destroyed their homes, but after I walked out into the water and showed them that the water isn t so bad they eventually came out and joined me. When we got to shore that is when I started to feel the pain. Factual Information Sources: Sandler p.26 Hamilton p.76 Newsweek Article Jeremiah 29:11 Devotional This genre is because this verse helped her through getting back on the board and even doing everyday activities. This is a fictional devotional. Bethany didn t actually write this. I included two new pieces of factual information and they are: While I was in the hospital my youth leader, Sarah Hill, told me this verse and it helped me stay calm through the good and the bad. Page 14
while I was in the hospital, that maybe I lost my arm so that I could tell people about Jesus. Factual Information Source: Soul Surfer DVD Soul Surfer Movie Review There was a movie made about Bethany Hamilton s story. This genre is what I thought of the movie. I included three new pieces of factual information and they are: Anna-Sophia Robb plays Bethany Hamilton in the movie. When Bethany was attacked her dad had been going in for surgery on his knee. A little fun fact is that Bethany was actually in the movie. Factual Information Source: Soul Surfer DVD Bethany Hamilton Photo Album All of the pictures are real photos and all of the captions are true. I included two new pieces of information in this genre and they are: This is Bethany a few days after she got back on the board after the shark attack. When she was growing up in Kauai, Christmas Morning always started with a morning surf session instead of gifts gifts came later. Factual Information Sources: Hamilton Photo 1. http://bethanyhamilton.com/ Photo 2. http://bethanyhamilton.com/ Photo 3. http://bethanyhamilton.com/ Photo 4. https://twitter.com/bethanyhamilton Photo 5. http://bethanyhamilton.com/ Photo 6. Taken by Sarah Feldmann Page 15
Works Cited Hamilton, Bethany. Bethany Hamilton. Bethany Hamilton, 2015. Web. 29 February 2016. <http://beth anyhamilton.com/> Hamilton, Bethany. Soul Surfer. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2004. Hamilton, Cheri. Raising a Soul Surfer. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2011. Newsweek Special Edition. Amazing Miracle: Bethany Hamilton, the Soul Surfer Who Survived a Shark Attack. Newsweek. Newsweek LLC, 12 July 2015. Web. 29 February 2016. <http://www.newsweek.com/bethany-hamilton-343571> Sandler, Michael. Bethany Hamilton: Follow Your Dreams. New York: Bearport Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. Soul Surfer. DVD. Sony Pictures, 2011. 106 min. Page 16