A Female Athlete We Need to Talk About

Written by Julia DellaRusso

Bethany Hamilton appeared in our lives when Soul Surfer came out in 2011. She stayed in the back of our minds after but we didn’t discuss her story more. As we continue to be inspired by female athletes, Bethany has been someone I have looked up to and supported, as her dedication to the sport of surfing empowers the people around her. 

Bethany didn’t want her life to stop or for people to treat her differently. Her new movie Unstoppable on Netflix gives us a better perspective on more than just her attack. It shows her being a mom and her life as an adult professional athlete. We see the ups and downs throughout her career. In 2016 she starts off having a successful year when she beat the six-time world champion as well as the highest-ranked surfer in the world at a World Surf League competition. Then there was the disappointment she felt in 2016 when she was nominated for an ESPY for Best Female Athlete with a disability which she withdrew from. She never thought of herself as “disabled” because of everything she was capable of doing. That is not the only award she has been given; she earned an MTV Teen Choice award for Courage back in 2004 and ESPN’s “best comeback award”. 

Next time we are afraid to do something, remember Bethany Hamilton: “My fear of losing surfing was greater than my fear of sharks.” Only 26 days after the attack she got back into the water. She overcame the animal that almost took her life and became one of the most popular female athletes in the world. The female professional surfer and mom of 3 boys is definitely someone I admire as an athlete because I remember her courage and pushing herself to be better as a person and athlete. 

As Bethany says: “I know life can be hard, but I’ve learned that we can rise above even the biggest challenges and fears. No matter where you’ve come from, or what you’re facing, you are loved by God, and you can overcome.”