Bethany Hamilton: ‘My fear of losing surfing was greater than my fear of sharks’
The unexpected announcement was made during the 2020 International Women’s Day while competing at the Sydney Surf Pro in Australia.
Bethany Hamilton has her mindset tuned and knows what she has to do to join the elite of surfing next year.
“I know it only takes a couple of good results to qualify, so I’m not just here hanging out. I’m trying to connect the dots of my heat strategy,” added the Hawaiian.
In 2003, Hamilton went surfing in the morning with her best friend and her best friend’s father and brothers while they were in Hawaii. While they were out surfing, a tiger shark attacked Hamilton and bite her left arm, severing it. After it happened, Hamilton’s best friend and her family helped paddle her back to shore. She was rushed to the hospital, and when she arrived, she had lost over 60 percent of blood and was in hypovolemic shock.
Just 26 days after her attack, Hamilton returned to the water and entered her first major competition on January 10, 2004. Throughout her career, she competed in competitions in the United States and other countries. She placed first in many events establishing herself as one of the best surfers in the world. In 2012 she became the first woman surfer to surf in the Rip Curl Cup.
Today, Hamilton is an American icon and an inspiring sportswoman for millions of people across the world. But she has her feet on the ground.
“I’d love to qualify, but I’m okay with it either way it goes. I haven’t had a good start in the first events of the season, but it’s a long year.”
Hamilton says she is still recovering from a broken elbow injury. So the focus is on trying to stay calm.
“It feels like it might be my last hurrah because I do want to have another kid at some point. So, I’ll just go for it and have fun along the way,” reveals the talented surfer.
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/_dCDswDZwu8
- https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/bethany-hamilton-eyes-2021-wsl-championship-tour
- https://www.sportscasting.com/bethany-hamilton-faced-a-near-death-experience-when-she-lost-her-arm-during-a-shark-attack/
- https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/mar/07/bethany-hamilton-unstoppable-film-my-fear-of-losing-surfing-was-greater-than-my-fear-of-sharks
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