caption best_year birth_place weight height name major_achievements birth_date spouse residence sponsors image article_title birth_name
bethany hamilton in 2007 2005 lihue , hawaii , u.s. 140 lb kg on 5 ft 11 in m on bethany hamilton espy champion -lrb- 2005 -rrb- 2nd place , asp world junior award championships -lrb- 2008 -rrb- -lrb- 2004 -rrb- nssa national helping kids 8 february 1990 adam dirks -lrb- m. 2013 -rrb- kauai , hawaii , u.s. rip curl bethany hamilton 20070311.jpg bethany hamilton
 bethany meilani hamilton
bethany hamilton

bethany meilani hamilton dirks -lrb- born february 8 , 1990 -rrb- is an american professional surfer who survived a 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off , but ultimately returned to -- and was victorious in -- professional surfing .
she wrote about her experience in the 2004 autobiography `` soul surfer : a true story of faith , family , and fighting to get back on the board '' .
in april 2011 , the feature film `` soul surfer '' was released ; it was based on the book and additional interviews .
she has appeared on many television shows since the loss of her arm .
