‘Soul Surfer’ Delivers a Powerful Speech of Faith at National Prayer Breakfast

Bethany Hamilton, the young woman best known as the ‘Soul Surfer’ because of the loss of her arm in a shark attack and became a professional surfer, delivered a powerful speech Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.. She proclaimed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ to give her the strength in overcoming the emotional and physical difficulties following the attack.

“I thought for a time I had lost more than just my arm,” said Hamilton, who was attacked by a 14-foot shark when she was 13 years old in 2003. “I [felt] as though my hopes and dreams to become a pro surfer and venture the world were stripped away.”

Hamilton, whose story was featured in the 2011 film “Soul Surfer ,” said her faith in Jesus helped her to lean on “his understanding” rather than her own — a paradigm that helped her power through the many obstacles she faced.

Rather than continuing to mourn the body she once had, Hamilton said the experience has helped her grow spiritually.

“I have no regrets for the adversity that God has allowed me to go through,” she told the audience. “I am now honored to be a role model and inspiration to many young girls throughout America and the world — ultimately, to share the hope and salvation there is in Jesus Christ.”

Hamilton said that while some might be tempted to pity her, she views the 2003 attack and its resulting impact on her life as “something beautiful.”