Bethany Meilani Hamilton-Dirks (born February 8, 1990) 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.