Soul Surfer

Title: Soul Surfer
Author: Bethany Hamilton
Pages: 264
Genre: Biography

1.       Describe 3 significant contributions that your figure made and the impact of each.

Bethany Hamilton has made many contributions to the world. First there are people in the world who are very poor and live in bad conditions and are so grateful for the smallest things whereas, people who live in a home, and can go to school, and are provided with clothes and food, do not appreciate it as much as they should. Bethany is working with the World Vision Foundation, which is an organization that helps poor children around the world. She can help kids living in poverty, with disabilities and give them care and support. In 2005 Bethany went to Thailand since they had just recently been hit with the tsunami, even though it was almost a year past when it happened, the people still needed lots of help recovering their lives. Adults, but mainly children were terrified of the water. Bethany helped a little boy and other kids get back into the water, they had surf lessons and just had fun playing together in the ocean. She visited people’s homes and an orphanage, and became friends with a little girl Ketsara who lost her mother and brother in the tsunami. World Vision helped people build their traditional Thai fishing boats as well to provide for their families. Second she has her own foundation called Bethany’s Friends which helps people who have had shark attacks. Bethany also works with her Church Youth group as they will often go to Mexico to help children and families. Third the biggest contribution that Bethany has done for the world is that she has given so many people with or without limbs to believe that they can do anything. If Bethany can do it without an arm we can defiantly do it with two. You can’t hold back on life, because if you do then you are not really living. If we take those risks and take those chances, we will believe in ourselves, we will be fearless, and we will have faith.

2. What is one MORE unique thing you have discovered about your figure?

One really cool thing that I have found out about Bethany Hamilton is that after her attack she mostly started to wear flip flops or go bare foot. Because when you have only one arm it so tough to do things like tying your shoe laces, or putting on clothes and doing things. And in a way it is just another part Bethany is showing about herself, how she is laid back, works hard, and just have a good time.  Apparently when it was her first time on the red carpet she said that she was lucky because she probably would have been walking it with just plain clothes and in bare feet but she had some friends to help her look glamorous.

3. What are the different awards and prizes that your figure has been awarded.

Ever since Bethany has started doing surfing competitions she has won awards. But the ones that mean the most to her are in 2003 around after her attack she had her first competition in the national Championships and took 5^th place. Maybe it might not sound that good but it is an amazing comeback. And the best award is in the Explorer Women’s division of the 2005 NSSA National Championships she took 1^st place and it was her first national title. In 2004 she won best comeback of the year and has also one many teen choice awards. Over the years and still today Bethany has won many awards but I can say for her that the best one is the love and faith she gives and receives to people around the world.

4. Describe the death of your figure

Bethany’s life is defiantly not over she is still a young strong girl. Bethany still surfs today and continues to travel the world helping people and doing the sport that she loves best. No matter what she will always be an inspiration to the world. ‘Surfing is a force that moves your body and soul. So that is why I do it. This is why I endure arms so sore and weak that they feel like wet noodles. This is why I swallow gallons of saltwater and get up at the crack of dawn day after day. This is why I’m a surfer’ (Hamilton 89).

this is a picture of Bethany with a little boy who does not have a limb who Bethany met on her book tour and she found him very cute and inspiring.