Bethany Hamilton Quotes

“Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I don't really want people looking to me for inspiration. I just want to be a sign along the way that points toward Heaven.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“You make your own adventure in life. And I truly believe that if you open your eyes to your surroundings, there's lots of neat stuff to be found practically anywhere on earth.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“The way I see it, putting your faith in God is something that each person has gotta come to on his or her own.It's your own personal relationship with Him; a bond that's as unique as a fingerprint.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Life is full of what-ifs. You can't let it hold you back. If you do, you're not really living at all . . . just kind of going through the motions with no meaning.”

— Bethany Hamilton

So maybe someone listening will be inspired to pick up a Bible or go to church and their lives will be better and richer as a result.

— Bethany Hamilton

“I'm not a vegetarian by any means; I eat fish. But the problem with shark finning is they catch the shark, cut their fins and throw them back in the ocean, and to me, that's wrong. If you're going to kill an animal, you should use the entire animal and do it humanely. I'm definitely not a big fan.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I think it doesn't matter if you are the best surfer in the world. I'm going to try to be the best surfer I can be. It's not all about competing and being the best. It's more about having fun and just doing what you love.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Whatever your situation might be, set your mind to whatever you want to do and put a good attitude in it, and I believe that you can succeed. You are not going to get anywhere just sitting on your butt and moping around.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I have a unique workout schedule. I concentrate on balancing with my core and my legs. Then, like any other surfer, I try to read the ocean. It's always changing and moving - doing its own thing - so you need to learn how it works and how to position yourself.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“God will give us the strength to be able to handle things. I mean, you can try to do it on your own, and sometimes you can pull off some stuff, but in the long run, it's much easier with Him by our side.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Being out there in the ocean, God's creation, it's like a gift He has given us to enjoy.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I don't care to be famous. But at the same time, you look at all the role models these little girls have, and they don't have anyone to look up to. I mean, it's weird, but if I just hid out and didn't let myself be known, who would they look up to instead, you know?”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Surfing for me is more than my lifestyle; it's my passion, my love, and it's a part of me.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I guess I just like to challenge myself and push myself harder to do things that I don't think I can, to do things that other people do not think I can. It pushes me. I push my own personal limits.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“One arm might handicap me a little in competition, but I just work with what changes I know I have to make, and I'm pretty used to it now. It mainly depends on the wave conditions ... I only get half the waves everyone else rides, so mine have to be good!”

— Bethany Hamilton

“To lose your everyday life of surfing and being creative on waves, enjoying the ocean - that's scary to me. It was essential to at least try surfing again and get out there and see how it went.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Growing up, I was blessed to be part of a great church. This is where I met many friends who have encouraged me in my life to live strong for Christ. My church is a place where I can develop friendships with others that will encourage me in my walk with Christ.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I'm a surfer at heart. Both my parents moved to Hawaii in the 1970s, where they met and became Christians. Then they taught me and my two brothers how to love the Lord - and how to surf!”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I believe in Jesus Christ, and I believe He gave me the passion and determination to continue surfing. You fall off the horse, and you get back on. I had to go for it.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Besides surfing, I play tennis, volleyball, I swim, I run hills, or I do high-intensity, high-interval workouts. I'm up at 5 A.M. every day.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“People can do whatever they want if they just set their heart to it, and just never give up, and just go out there and do it.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“We all go through rough times. We have those obstacles that seem too large to overcome or that current that you never seem to swim out of. We have to decide what matters most to us - our passions,”

— Bethany Hamilton

“In the end, my love for surfing helped me overcome my fear of sharks.”

— Bethany Hamilton

I'm just waiting for God to tell me what to do, but whatever it is, I want to be doing something like I am doing now-serving God and helping people.

— Bethany Hamilton

“I love the ocean, and I love surfing. It's something so special and unique, and surfing is unlike any other sport. Skateboarding is amazing, you get the adrenaline rush, but you don't get the feel of the ocean, of doing its own thing. Totally surrounding you. Definitely a unique thing, it's a blessing, and a huge part of my healing process I would say.”

— Bethany Hamilton

Losing an arm is kinda lame at one point, but at the same time, so much good has come out of it.

— Bethany Hamilton

“I could never have embraced this many people with two arms.”

— Bethany Hamilton

What ultimately matters is the emotions and feelings that you experienced and people around [whom] you experienced [them].

— Bethany Hamilton

“Being creative on the waves is challenging, but we each create art in our own way.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“It's been amazing to touch people's lives.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I think sharks are beautiful creatures, and I don't think we should stop going in the ocean because of them. You drive down the road and you get in an accident, but most people end up driving down the road again. Surfing is you're going into their home and it's just a natural part of life.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Surfing is a huge passion of mine. I'm and addict to it in a sense. I think it is a good addiction. I spend about anywhere from two to eight hours a day in the water when I am home. I enjoy competing and traveling. I don't know, I just like being in the ocean and enjoying God's creation. Just the adrenaline you get and its good exercise you get at the same time.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I guess my faith in Jesus Christ is what kept me going day by day. I just trusted in him and I believe that he's the one who gives me the strength and ability to overcome struggles and problems day to day. I'm just grateful for him, as he has blessed me with just an amazing family that has supported me through every step of the way.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“It's hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode wave in for the first time after the attack. I was incredibly thankful and happy inside. The tiny bit of doubt that would sometimes tell me you'll never surf again was gone in one wave.”

— Bethany Hamilton

My only real fear was that I would not be able to surf again because I was concerned that I would not physically be able to do it. I knew that if I wasn't able to surf then my life would really change.

— Bethany Hamilton

The paramedic whispered in my ear 'God will never leave you or forsake you.'

— Bethany Hamilton

“Your looks do not define who you are.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“It's sad to hear that 1 in 3 girls have an eating disorder, because they're trying to be something that they think they need to be, when it's such a lie that they believe. Meanwhile all over the world there's people that are starving or dying of something crazy that we forget, and we think we're the only ones in this world.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“My strength came from my relationship with Christ and from the love and encouragement of my family and friends.”

— Bethany Hamilton

You fall off the horse and you get back on.

— Bethany Hamilton

“Compassion can drive us to do amazing things and give us perspective.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“I have been able to be just a good light to people and just share His love. I wake up every day and [try to] honor God in everything that I do and I may fall short sometimes, but all I want to do is love Him.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“My belief is where I get my strength. When I'm struggling with something, I can go to God for help and I'm excited to share that.”

— Bethany Hamilton

“Getting back on the surfboard after the [shark] attack was the hardest thing and I did it! After that, the hardest thing was my first competition.”

— Bethany Hamilton

Love is bigger then a tsunami, stronger then any fear.

— Bethany Hamilton

I think passion is something that's more powerful than even love. It's something that you're not willing to let go of, and you'll work really hard to make sure that stays a part of your life.

— Bethany Hamilton

“None of us are going to have perfect lives. Our own vision of what we think is good maybe different from what He [God] thinks. And we forget that. We think we know what's best and we don't.”

— Bethany Hamilton

My favorite thing [about surfing] is being creative on waves; it's like an art form. You can do whatever you want on that wave if you work hard at it and just have fun out there.

— Bethany Hamilton

“I just love being on the ocean and being creative on the waves and the feeling you get when you're surfing. All around it's beautiful and fun.”

— Bethany Hamilton