• Not your typical teenager Not your typical teenager By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island If Michelle Wie is O‘ahu’s brightest teenage female athlete, then Bethany Hamilton is without a doubt, Kaua‘i’s shiniest female star performer — especially
• Not your typical teenager
Not your typical teenager
By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island
If Michelle Wie is O‘ahu’s brightest teenage female athlete, then Bethany Hamilton is without a doubt, Kaua‘i’s shiniest female star performer — especially with a national title in her hands for the first time in her young career.
The 14-year-old conquered the 2005 NSSA national competition with a spectacular performance in the Explorer Women’s contest.
But that wasn’t enough, as she managed to garner fourth-place honors in the Open Women’s division.
It’s truly amazing how she is able to erase the odds everytime she gets back on her board.
She was also the only Kauaian to come home with a national title.
And it will probably not be the only time she graces the top of the charts.
Yet another astonishing trait about Hamilton is her ability to stay grounded and humble.
She keeps the same great values, even if she may be one of the most popular teenagers in the state or nation for that matter.
If you pull up a Google search on Hamilton, there will be thousands of websites devoted to her.
Even her website still gets around a thousand hits per day.
The reason I think people are fascinated by her is just the simple fact that she doesn’t let anything get in her way — and I mean anything — not even a loss in a surf competition, a bad wipeout at Pine Trees, and not even a shark attack.
Hamilton also is the first to help other shark attack victims, like Jamie Daigle.
Hamilton dedicated a portion on her website to deliver a message to Daigle’s friends and family.
On top of that, she isn’t shy to appear on commercials against drugs and alcohol abuse.
Hamilton even looms on billboards, with the “Never Quit” motto.
Her awards would fill up a couple of trophy rooms.
But does she care about the awards?
To some extent she does, but that’s really not important to her and as she continues to pursue her passion of surfing, she’ll only get better as time rolls along.
The tsunami victims in Asia probably don’t know who she is, but along with worldvision.org, Hamilton has raised over $13,000 in her Surfing For Children In Crisis fund.
Her goal of $50,000 seems unattainable, but if it’s Bethany Hamilton you’re talking about, then nothing is out of her reach.
So expect or even help her reach her goal, which goes directly to focus on the needs of disabled children throughout the world.
If you would like to donate, check out her website by World Vision at www.justgiving.com/pfp/bethanyhamilton.
