On October 31, 2003, one of the greatest sports stories turned feature film began in Kauai, Hawaii. One of the greatest professional surfers of all time, Bethany Hamilton, was viciously attacked by a tiger shark and had her arm torn off at the base of the shoulder.

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Bethany spent only a month in recovery before trying to get back to surfing. She was forced to learn to surf with a much larger board and with only one hand to paddle toward oncoming waves. After months and months of practice, she quickly got back to competing in January 2004. While she was rather unsuccessful at first, she eventually placed first at the National Scholastic Surfing Association tournament in Australia that summer. Hamilton would go on to a phenomenal surfing career, posting eight first place finishes and twelve top-three finishes in 16 total tournaments, which encompassed regional, state, and national junior and pro tournaments.  

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Her story is well documented and she has gained much fame from it. After the attack and subsequent fallout, she received the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete and 2004 Courage Teen Choice Award, was featured on television shows like Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, and featured in another heartwarming film, Dolphin Tale 2.  Also in 2004, she wrote an autobiography entitled Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, which details the shark attack, her struggle and how her family, friends and faith helped her get back to surfing. Her determination and drive is additionally documented in  the film Soul Surfer. Her story is an inspiration to many people, and Hamilton has personally worked with her fans and local children to spread her incredible story of trial, tribulation, and triumph.