Bethany Research Paper

After the devastating shark attack which resulted in Bethany losing her left arm, she developed new insights into life. This included having an extremely positive attitude to the challenges that laid ahead of her and becoming far more resilient than what everyone expected. The experience was tragic, but it provided much inspiration for Bethany. In an interview with Courageous Women Magazine conducted just one month after the incident, she states, "My pure love and enjoyment for surfing is what keeps me going! It’s much more than a career; it’s a moving art, a lifestyle; it’s my talent and a place of rest for me. I’m blessed to be able to surf." This clearly shows her passion for this sport and it demonstrates to us that even through rough times, our motivations and passions can override hardships. It was also about her courage - her inner strength that helped her accomplish the goal of getting back into the water.

After participating in her first surfing competition ever since her incident, in which Malina Birch wins over her, she decides to give up competitive surfing. About a year later in 2004, she joins her youth group to help the people of Phuket, Thailand, who were affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami. It was here that her attitude to surfing changed. She teaches a little boy to surf despite his overwhelming fear of the ocean. This teaches her to realize that inspiration for people can come from a person's talent, passion and love for something - that she was able to make a difference in people's lives and it is this idea of inspiration and compassion for others that led her to conquer her own limitations and pursue competitive surfing once more. She also set an encouraging example for people facing