NathanThe Shark
So so far from Kauai, a group of fisherman actually managed to catch the exact same shark that had done damage to Bethany’s arm. This shark was fourteen-foot, a tiger shark, and how can we tell that it was responsible for Bethany’s accident? The fishermen found surfboard chunks in the shark’s mouth. Tiger sharks can often be found swimming in the shallower region of the ocean water occasionally attacking surfers and divers. So what was left for poor Bethany?
Her Recovery
Bethany Hamilton took about three weeks long for her recovery. Since she had been so active and adventurous all her life, we are pretty sure these weeks would have been like hell for the skilled surfer. It was nice of her fans to be there for her during this trying time. There were about 7,000 emails sent to Bethany by her supporters from all over the world, showing their support for their favorite surfer. This was a nice affirmation for Bethany but she started to question if she would ever be able to surf again…
Hard Hitting Questions
She was recovering fast but Bethany needed to find out if this incident was going to hamper her dreams and goals as a young surfer. Since she was an amputee now, would her surfing be affected? With just one arm, would she be able to perform her previous tricks? She was just 13 but was on a roll that every surfer could only dream of. She had been planning her whole career around surfing so was she going to have to forget all about this?
Her Promises
While lying on her recovery bed, the young surfer made two promises to herself. She decided that the shark attack would not define who she was or set her back from achieving her full potential. She wanted no pity from others as she knew she was still lucky enough to be alive. Second, she was determined to get back to the water and prove to herself and everyone that she could still become victorious despite losing an arm. So would she be able to fulfill her goals?
Second Time Learning
Bethany was focused on keeping her promises. Amazingly within 26 days following the shark attack, Bethany decided to get back to the water. She could not wait another day and it was not even a month after the incident took place. It was not going to be an easy task as she would have to learn to surf again, only this time, she had only one arm. It was a difficult time for Bethany who would often go home crying after training in the water all over again. So what was going to happen to her future?
Blessing In Disguise
In the end, Bethany Hamilton realized that the tiger shark attacking her was truly a blessing in disguise for her in the long run. Since she did not meet her attacker face to face, it spared her from feeling fearful and scared to get back into surfing. However, she did occasionally felt a fear of possibly meeting another shark again in the ocean when she began with her training after recovering. It was a challenge to try surfing with one arm. She had to work on herself to get through this constant fear and to master her craft…