This is Angela Odell, and you are listening to Real Cool History for Kids, a podcast show featuring history told from a distinctly biblical worldview perspective. Welcome to an adventure.

Welcome to episode 151 of Real Cool History for Kids. This episode is for Heidi Wumble, who wanted to hear the story of Bethany Hamilton.

Hey, Heidi, this one's for you.

When I saw Heidi's request for an episode about Bethany Hamilton, I was really excited because Bethany's life has been an

inspiration to me personally. She is not only a world-famous surfer, but also a strong

believer in Jesus, a role model of perseverance and really just a living testimony to the power of faith and courage.

Her story teaches us that no matter what challenges we face in life, we can overcome them

with determination by trusting in God and never giving up.

So let's start her story at the beginning.

Bethany was born on February 8, 1990, in Lujua, Hawaii. Bethany grew up on the beautiful

island of Kauai. She was raised in a family that loved surfing. Her parents, Tom and

Sherry Hamilton, were both surfers, and Bethany picked up surfing quickly and developed a passion for it

at a very young age. By the time she was just eight years old, she was already competing and surfing competitions.

Her love for the ocean was more than just a hobby.

It was her passion.

And from early on, it was her dream to become a professional surfer.

Bethany trained hard and competed fiercely.

Everyone saw that she showed great promise and potential as a surfer. She was well on her way to achieving her dream when something happened that changed her life forever. On the morning of October 31, 2003, Bethany, who was just 13 years old at the time, went surfing with her best friend, Alana Blanchard, along with Alana's father and brother.

On that fateful day, the ocean was calm, the sun was shining, and everything seemed

perfect, but in an instant everything changed. As Bethany was lying on her surfboard, waiting for the

next wave, a large tiger shark moved in for its attack. In just a few seconds, the shark bit off her left

arm completely from the shoulder down. Despite the horrifying situation, Bethany remained calm

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