The Inspiration of Bethany Hamilton’s Beautifully Flawed Foundation

Bethany Hamilton is a bonafide surfing legend. In 2002, at the age of 13, Hamilton lost her left arm after being attacked by a shark while surfing near her home in Kauai. Her story spread like wildfire, not because of the attack, but because of her determination to get back in the water.

Since losing her arm, Hamilton has been awarded the wildcard at numerous CT events, towed into massive waves at Jaws, and competed in countless QS events, winning the Surf n Sea Pipeline Pro in 2014. She’s given birth to four children, released two films about her life, and has received countless awards for a courageous comeback.

But Hamilton is so much more than an accomplished surfer. She’s a firm believer in God and has dedicated her life to inspiring and encouraging others going through challenges or hardships. In 2007, Hamilton established her non-profit the ‘Friends of Bethany,’ which eventually rebranded to the Beautifully Flawed Foundation.

Through the foundation, Hamilton offers retreats for young men and women who face limb differences. The retreats are five-day immersive experiences where attendees are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and try new things, like surfing. In addition to the retreats, the Beautifully Flawed Foundation hosts conferences and sends care packages to individuals facing limb loss. Here, Hamilton shares what the Beautifully Flawed Foundation is all about and dives deeper into their mission of offering hope to overcome.

SURFER: How did you decide to use what happened to you to help and inspire others?
Bethany Hamilton: It was just my natural approach. At first, I was just so grateful to be alive—I think gratitude can take us way farther than we can even realize when we’re going through a hard time and facing big challenges in our lives.

It’s not like it was an easy season in my life, but I was grateful to be alive. From there, it was just being passionate and having a hint of hope. When I look at me going back to surf, I didn’t know anyone who surfed with one arm, that was a foreign territory, but I did know someone who surfed with one leg. Having someone else be a reminder that maybe I can surf with one arm put me on a mission to give it a try.

What was your experience like getting back into surfing after you lost your arm?
I had a friend, Mike Coots, who surfed with one leg, so that was my inspiration to want to try surfing with one arm. I was tenacious by nature, so I didn’t want one arm to hold me back from at least trying things. I was always willing to give it a go even if I flopped.

Surfing is such an incredibly challenging sport and it’s so humbling. The ocean is this even playing field that’s not going to be easier on whoever’s paddling next to me than it is on me. I love that aspect of surfing: you’re just out there and we’re all trying. Once I learned to surf, then I thought I could probably do a lot of things.

Related: Bethany Hamilton Reflects on Shark Attack 20 Years Later

What inspired you to start the Beautifully Flawed retreats?
My community was really sweet and rad to my family and I after I lost my arm, so we initially started the foundation as a way to give back. My dad and sister-in-law, Becky [Hamilton], started off sending care packages to people who lost a limb or had a shark incident and we’re still doing that.

It’s a really cool outreach because when you’re in that initial limb loss moment your mind is being stretched to the max and you’re just like "I can’t believe this happened to me." A lot of people can go into a downward spiral but if we can capture them in that moment, that pivotal moment that can bring them down or keep them going, those packages can be such a blessing. And then a few friends who were running the foundation at the time thought of the retreat and we started doing it.

Why is it special to bring a bunch of people together that have limb differences?
There’s a lot of emotion and hardship that maybe hasn’t been addressed for a lot of the participants. We have a lot of intentional talking time throughout the retreat, and we encourage the participants. The world is so busy and fast-paced and we’re all going, going, going, and doing, doing, doing, but it’s nice to slow down and think about our challenges and how we could approach them differently or how we can overcome our next challenge in a beautiful way.

Why are the retreats so beneficial for participants?
A lot of the participants don’t share a life with anyone who has a limb difference. Not having that comradery can be kind of hard, you just feel like no one understands you or gets your challenges.

A lot of participants are so encouraged by being around other people who get them and get their struggles. That aspect of it is so cool. And not only that, but a lot of them make lifelong friendships. A lot of the participants go and visit each other, text each other, and keep in touch.

What’s it like seeing someone catch a wave for the first time, despite having a limb difference?
Surfing is a really cool endeavor because people with all limbs are scared to surf. So, we get all the participants to go surf and I’m sure a lot of them are going into it feeling excited, nervous, and not sure of themselves, which is what I felt when I first went surfing with one arm.

Once they pop up and surf it’s really rad. It can be a catalyst for all the other challenges that they face. If I can surf with one arm or one leg, if I can challenge myself in one way, then what else can I do?

What is the design of the retreat?
A lot of it is designed around my passions. I’m passionate about living healthy—I think eating healthy can really influence your mind. A lot of the participants who come to the retreats their minds are kind of under attack, maybe they're struggling with depression or dark bouts of mental struggle. I really believe nutrition can make a big difference in that and physical movement, so we encourage the participants to develop healthy habits and inspire them to eat healthy in a yummy way.

The retreat is designed to inspire in mind, body, and spirit. Having a balanced life is so important. Overcoming our challenges is so much more than just having a positive or grateful mindset. Sometimes my outlet is going surfing, moving, or talking with a friend. Or making sure I get nutritious food in my body or digging into my faith in different challenges and seasons.

Religion seems to be a central theme of the retreats. Do people have to be Christian to attend?
I don’t expect it. It’s more like I’m sharing from my experience. So rather than be like I want you to believe the exact same way that I do, it’s more like this is what helped me, and I can’t help but share it with you. We make it known so people aren’t shocked or surprised.

I live a life of faith. I think of how I overcame and a lot of it I contribute to my faith in God, so to be able to share with the participants what brought me hope in my harder moments in life is special.

What is the retreat experience like for you?
I have a lot of fun. It’s encouraging to know that my life is having a ripple effect in a really beautiful way, so I’m just stoked to be there and hang out.

Related: More Than a Survivor: The Bethany Hamilton Profile