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Bethany Hamilton Resilience

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A thirteen year old girl named Bethany Hamilton was an up and coming surfing champion. On Halloween of 2003, all of that could have changed. That day, Bethany was surfing with her best friend, Alana, Alana’s brother, Byron, and Alana’s father, Holt. While Bethany was patiently waiting for the perfect wave, she was attacked by a fifteen foot tiger shark. The shark, attracted to her watch, came up from under her board and bit off her arm. Due to the fast reaction of her best friend’s father, Bethany survived the attack. But, because of her strength to overcome adversity, her courage, and her determination, Bethany Hamilton is the perfect example of resilience. The first reason Bethany is an example of resilience can be seen in her ability to overcome adversity. When Bethany awoke in the hospital, she could see the concern in everyone’s eyes. She suddenly glanced at her stump before examining her family’s reactions to the tragedy. She realized immediately that they saw her differently. She could tell that they were afraid of how she would handle the situation. It was obvious they wanted the “old” Bethany; the surfer girl with both of her arms. Bethany did not see the attack as the “end of the world.” She knew she could overcome the loss of her limb. She would not let this tragedy ruin her life. She would learn to do everything she had done before the attack like, styling her hair, tying her shoes, and brushing her teeth. She would even surf …show more content…

A month after her accident, she was back in the water. She did not let the events that occurred on Halloween deter her from her passion and dream of surfing professionally. Even though she was afraid of sharks, she was more concerned about never doing what she loved again. Despite the fact she could have lost more limbs or even died, if another attack occurred, she continued to surf. Her courage is another trait she possesses that makes her

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