REPLAY | Bethany Hamilton on Women’s Sports, Faith & Motherhood

Summary

Podcast Summary: Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey Episode: REPLAY | Bethany Hamilton on Women’s Sports, Faith & Motherhood
Release Date: November 26, 2024
Host: Allie Beth Stuckey
Guest: Bethany Hamilton
Network: Blaze Podcast Network

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Introduction to Bethany Hamilton

In this insightful episode of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, host Allie engages in a deep conversation with Bethany Hamilton, renowned professional surfer, mother, wife, and Christian advocate. The discussion delves into Bethany's inspiring journey through faith, motherhood, and her active role in advocating for women's rights in sports.

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Early Life and Passion for Surfing

[02:00]–[04:20]

Bethany Hamilton shares her upbringing in Kauai, Hawaii, where she was immersed in the surfing culture from a very young age. Raised by parents who were both avid surfers and devout Christians, Bethany developed a profound love for the ocean and competitive surfing.

Bethany Hamilton [02:15]: "I grew a passion for the ocean and riding waves... my parents gave me so much time and they gave me my faith in God."

Her competitive spirit was evident early on, having secured second place in the national titles at just 13 years old. Bethany attributes her strong drive and innate ability to her supportive upbringing and her deep-rooted faith.

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Shark Attack and Initial Recovery

[05:56]–[10:13]

Tragedy struck when Bethany was 13, resulting in a shark attack that led to the loss of her left arm. This life-altering event could have ended her surfing career, but her resilience and faith played pivotal roles in her recovery.

Bethany Hamilton [07:39]: "When chaos like that hits our life, everything feels upside down... I was ready because my mom had raised me in my faith."

With unwavering support from family and friends, including Mike Coutts—a fellow surfer who had lost his leg to a shark attack—Bethany was inspired to return to the water. Her determination saw her back surfing just 21 days after the incident, marking the beginning of her remarkable comeback.

Bethany Hamilton [08:22]: "Just popping up and catching waves... it feels like one of the most beautiful waves in my life."

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Faith and Overcoming Hardship

[12:24]–[15:25]

Faith remains a cornerstone in Bethany's life, guiding her through moments of doubt and hardship. Reflecting on her teenage years, she emphasizes gratitude and focusing on what she can do rather than what she lost.

Bethany Hamilton [12:43]: "Having that gratitude propelled me forward and focusing on what I could do."

She cites John 16:33 as a foundational verse that reminds her of God's promise to be with her through all trials, reinforcing her steadfast belief in His plan.

Bethany Hamilton [14:33]: "In this world you will have trouble... take heart, Christ has already overcome the world."

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Resuming Surfing and Competitive Career

[15:32]–[21:59]

Bethany's return to competitive surfing was marked by significant achievements, including winning a national title two years post-attack and embarking on a professional career. She highlights the creation of her documentary "Unstoppable," which showcases her dedication to advancing female surfing.

Bethany Hamilton [16:50]: "Creating my documentary 'Unstoppable' was super fun... pushing female surfing."

Balancing her professional career with personal life, Bethany also embraced motherhood, integrating her family into her surfing adventures and maintaining her status as a world-class surfer even after having four children.

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Dealing with Fame and 'Soul Surfer' Book

[22:00]–[26:19]

Bethany discusses the challenges of sudden fame following her shark attack, especially as her story went viral during the early days of social media. Initially resistant to the public spotlight, she eventually recognized the impact her story could have on others facing hardships.

Bethany Hamilton [18:13]: "My story went viral without the social media. I actually hated being in the public eye."

Collaborating with her parents and pastor friend Rick Bunchu, Bethany authored "Soul Surfer," aiming to inspire and encourage others through her experiences. Despite her teenage reluctance, the book became a beacon of hope for many.

Bethany Hamilton [19:35]: "It's amazing to see how... people going through immense hardship... remembering that they can keep going."

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Marriage and Motherhood

[26:19]–[28:09]

Bethany recounts meeting her husband, Adam, through mutual friends in Hawaii. Their relationship blossomed quickly, leading to marriage within a year and the joyful addition of four children to their family. She shares her unique approach to surfing during pregnancy, likening it to walking and emphasizing strategic adjustments to accommodate her changing body.

Bethany Hamilton [22:17]: "Surfing is kind of like walking... I just surf while I'm pregnant."

Bethany highlights the supportive dynamics within her family, with her sons actively participating in her surfing activities, fostering a love for the ocean in the next generation.

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Advocacy for Women's Sports and Title IX

[28:09]–[41:18]

A significant portion of the episode centers on Bethany's passionate advocacy for the protection of women's sports, particularly in the context of Title IX. She expresses deep concern over recent changes allowing males to compete in female divisions, questioning the fairness and integrity of such decisions.

Bethany Hamilton [30:16]: "Males could now compete in the female division. I was just like, oh my goodness, this is horrible."

Facing resistance and silent complicity from other female athletes due to non-disparaging agreements, Bethany took it upon herself to voice her concerns, enduring backlash but feeling it was her duty to protect the competitive landscape for women.

Bethany Hamilton [32:05]: "I decided it was my time to shine... I'm really happy I did it."

She also addresses misconceptions about gender differences in sports performance, emphasizing biological factors like strength and speed that inherently affect competition fairness.

Bethany Hamilton [41:18]: "The strength of men in general is just substantially stronger... men are just way faster and way stronger."

Bethany advocates for women's sports to maintain exclusive female divisions to ensure fair competition and protect the opportunities for female athletes to excel without undue disadvantages.

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Pro-Life Advocacy

[46:40]–[51:44]

Beyond sports, Bethany passionately discusses her pro-life stance, aligning herself with organizations like Every Life and Save the Storks. She critiques the pro-choice movement, highlighting the lack of support and resources for women facing unplanned pregnancies.

Bethany Hamilton [47:14]: "Pro choice movement... it's just all about the woman and what she wants versus acknowledging that there's a human life."

Bethany emphasizes the importance of providing comprehensive support to expectant mothers, advocating for adoption as a viable and compassionate alternative to abortion. She underscores the societal need to value and preserve human life from conception.

Bethany Hamilton [51:16]: "They're really coming alongside these women and supporting them... saving lives is so important."

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Conclusion

In this compelling episode, Bethany Hamilton exemplifies resilience, faith, and advocacy. Her unwavering commitment to protecting women's sports and championing pro-life causes underscores her dedication to fostering a fair and compassionate society. Through her personal anecdotes and passionate discussions, Bethany inspires listeners to stand firm in their beliefs while balancing life's multifaceted roles.

Bethany Hamilton [53:33]: "Thanks, Sally. Glad to be here."

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Notable Quotes:

• Bethany Hamilton [02:15]: "I grew a passion for the ocean and riding waves... my parents gave me so much time and they gave me my faith in God."

• Bethany Hamilton [07:39]: "When chaos like that hits our life, everything feels upside down... I was ready because my mom had raised me in my faith."

• Bethany Hamilton [12:43]: "Having that gratitude propelled me forward and focusing on what I could do."

• Bethany Hamilton [18:13]: "My story went viral without the social media. I actually hated being in the public eye."

• Bethany Hamilton [30:16]: "Males could now compete in the female division. I was just like, oh my goodness, this is horrible."

• Bethany Hamilton [41:18]: "The strength of men in general is just substantially stronger... men are just way faster and way stronger."

• Bethany Hamilton [51:16]: "They're really coming alongside these women and supporting them... saving lives is so important."

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This episode of Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey offers a profound exploration of Bethany Hamilton's life, her unwavering faith, and her courageous stand on pivotal social issues, providing listeners with both inspiration and thoughtful discourse.

Transcript

[Bethany Hamilton]

This episode is brought to you by GE Healthcare. GE Healthcare sees possibilities through innovation. They are partnering with their customers to.

[Allie Stuckey]

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[Bethany Hamilton]

Technology, intelligent devices and care solutions. Just like they have for over 125 years, the technology they're mastering today will.

[Allie Stuckey]

Help make care more personalised tomorrow. Find out [e-mail] Bethany Hamilton is more than just an amazing pro surfer with an incredible testimony. She is also a mom, a wife, a Christian and an advocate for women and girls competing fairly in sports. She is also a pro life advocate. And so today she joins us to talk about her story, what the Lord has taught her throughout her life and how he continues to use her testimony for the good of others. And we will also, of course, talk about the changes to title nine, why she decided last year to speak up for the rights and for fairness for women and girls in surfing. And we'll talk about so much more too. This episode of Relatable is brought to you by our friends at Good Rangers. Go to good rangers.com use code ALI at checkout. That's goodranchers.com code ALI. Bethany Hamilton, thanks so much for taking the time to join us.

[Bethany Hamilton]

My pleasure. Glad to be here. Allie.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, it's so nice to meet you. Okay. So many people out there have been following you, have been asking me for so long, can you please get Bethany on? Which I am so excited because I have been wanting to and hoping to and planning to have you on for a while. So praise God that it worked out. But for everyone who may not know your story, take us back to the beginning. When did you start surfing and what cultivated your love for that?

[Bethany Hamilton]

So I was born and raised in Kauai, Hawaii and both my parents surfed and they're both God fearing people and they just had my brothers and I and threw us in the water at a young age, you know, probably on a surfboard before I could walk. Yeah, and I just, I think in my like young childhood I grew a passion for the ocean and riding waves and I had a knack for it and also just a strong drive. And yeah, as I was getting older, I started competing. I'm very competitive and it was just a really cool childhood. Like just amazing parents. You know, we, my dad worked really hard, work, had like two to three jobs at a time. So we had a very simple childhood. But they gave me so much, they gave me so much time and they gave me my faith in God. They encouraged me so much in that area and then they gave me Surfing, which was just the dream playground. And so when I lost my arm, it was almost like I was ready because my mom had raised me in my faith. She would pray with me, she read the Bible to me at bedtime, we went to church and they were just very active, I would say. And so when chaos hit, I was ready.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And while it wasn't the plan that I had in mind for my life, God allowed me to survive that day for a reason. And I very much so could have died, but I made it. And then from there, things just continued to get really interesting. Like I didn't wake up in the hospital thinking like, wow, I'm going to surf with one arm. You know, I was more of like, oh my gosh, I lost my passion. Like the thing that was more than just a childhood sport. It was just how old you were. I was 13 when I lost my arm.

[Allie Stuckey]

Gosh, so young.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, so super young. And to give you a little context, I had finished second in the national titles that summer before, also with my competitive drive, but I was only 13 and that was 18 and under. So very promising.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Kind of like, I don't know, compared to other sports, I feel like surfing you can kind of pinpoint if someone's gonna really succeed. Whereas like soccer or baseball, like there can be a lot of like really talented children, I would say. But you're not going to be like, oh yeah, my child's gonna be the best, the next best. I mean, maybe the odd parent might think that, but with surfing I feel like it's just a little different because now being a parent myself, I'm like, uh, my parents really were all in like almost too much, but I love that they were super supportive.

[Allie Stuckey]

Um, would you say that surfing, I've never surfed before, so I don't know that much about it. Would you say based on what you just said, that you can kind of tell like who is going to be really good from an early age? Would you say it's more intuitive, like a more innate skill than maybe some other sports?

[Bethany Hamilton]

I would say it's a mix. There is innate ability. Like my 8 year old son, he innately reads the ocean so well. Like he can kind of like see a wave coming from forever away and he's just in the spot. It's super natural. Um, but it's also something you can work at and get better at. And nowadays too there's like wave pools. So there's some super talented surfers that have basically like gotten themselves to a professional level by spending A lot of time in the wave pools. And so, yeah, it's a mix of both, I would say, at the end of the day, hard work, perseverance, pushing yourself, and, like, having the natural talent as well.

[Allie Stuckey]

So, 13, you survive the attack, you wake up in the hospital, and you think, as you said, wow, my dream is over. You had had this super promising career already by the time you were 13, and you're thinking, it's all done.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah. So I wake up and I'm thinking, yeah, I don't know what my life is going to look like. And I. I think, like, when chaos like that hits our life, you just, like, everything feels upside down. Like, the future feels unknown. And so that aspect was really hard. But then I had a friend come in and visit me. His name was Mike Coutts. And I had a lot of family support and friends coming and encouraging me in so many amazing ways. But Mike Coutts in particular, he had lost his leg to a shark, and he had learned how to surf with one leg. And so he came in, he's like, hey, I think you can surf with one arm. I was practicing paddling out there this morning. And so he was my first, like, light bulb of like, okay, maybe I can surf. And then from there, I was just on a mission to get back in the water. And I think most people can't get past the whole shark thing. Like, they don't want to go back in the ocean after something like that happens. But, I don't know, you want to compare it to, say, driving in a car. Like, you're going to get back in your car and go to the grocery store. For the most part, maybe the odd one out of a million might really struggle and never want to get back in a car. But for me, like I said, surfing was more than just my childhood hobby. Like, I feel like as a way of life and culture and art and.

[Allie Stuckey]

Sport, you lived and breathed it.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yes, Exactly. So, yeah, 21 days later, as soon as the doctor said I could get in the water, I was out there trying and going for.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah. And your parents were totally on board. No pun intended.

[Bethany Hamilton]

My mom was, like, a little apprehensive. My dad was like, yes, let's go. Yeah. And then I think once my mom saw me surfing, though, and she had that same love and passion for the ocean, so she came on board after a bit.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah. And they just knew that it was part of who you were and that it would have been impossible for you probably to stay out of the water or it felt like it would have.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Been, I think too, I was exploring the unknown. I didn't know anyone with one arm, let alone a surfer with one arm. And same for my parents. And so we were, you know, just exploring what was possible. And I think it was hard to wrap your head around surfing with one arm for most people, like just popping up and catching waves and just the whole every. It's one of the hardest sports in the world. So yeah, it was just really cool though, that moment I popped up on my board and rode a wave all the way to the beach. It was just like a tiny little wave, like nothing very special as far as the wave goes, but it still feels like one of the most beautiful waves in my life. I can just remember that emotion and tears of joy.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

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[Bethany Hamilton]

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[Bethany Hamilton]

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[Allie Stuckey]

Was it a pretty straight line from A to B as far as recovery and getting better surfing with one arm? Or were there ever moments after that where you just felt yourself getting frustrated or discouraged or even fearful of an attack like that happening again?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, so I would say it was. It was a journey. Of course, like any recovery, the physical journey was actually pretty straightforward and easy. Um, but there were definitely days where I'd come in crying or I couldn't even make it out to the lineup because the waves were so intense and I just didn't have the speed or the power. And like the duck diving abilities. So it took a while to regain my confidence in the ocean and adapt and figure out creative ways to do things differently. And so as time went on, it started to feel more natural and I just got used to it and I became better adapting and figuring out Bethany's version of surfing and creativity out there and how I can do it differently. And I think outside of the water too is the same thing, like just trying to figure out how to do life. And there was a lot of frustrating moments though, a lot of tears and frustrations and some down days for sure. But I would say that's where, like, my faith in God really propelled me forward through like the hardship and just trusting that God had a plan for my life and knowing that even at 13, I was like, well, maybe the Lord will use my story. And so I always had a heart for other people. Like ever since I was little, I just could not wait to go on a mission trip. I wanted to go and serve people. And so, yeah, I think I started getting letters to once I started surfing again from people like, if you can surf with one arm, like, I can overcome my hardship. And that as a 13 year old was kind of weird, but also really cool and beautiful.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah. And so is that how you kind of dealt with those moments that I'm sure that you had of why me? Why, why did this happen to me of all people? Is that how you kind of combated those temptations to have thoughts like that?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, it's interesting. I think my mindset as a 13 year old inspires me to this day. Like, I don't feel like I'm like the same person today. Like, I mean, yes, I am and like, I carry a lot of that. But I remember just waking up in the hospital and thinking, I'm so grateful to be alive. Like, I could have died. I knew very, very clearly that I could have died. And I just think having that gratitude propelled me forward and focusing on what I could do propelled me forward instead of getting stuck in a rut of like, woe is me. I have felt that woe is me. And that's really hard to overcome and face in life. And all I can say is just trying to figure out what can you do? How can you move forward? What are, what do you have to be grateful for instead of like thinking what if and what was me? Because life's going to knock you down. And as my favorite Bible verse says, like, in this world you will have trouble. John 16:33. I've said these things to you that in me you will have peace in the world. You will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. And I love that verse because it reminds us that we're going to have trouble. Like God didn't say, it's going to be all perfect and easy, like sin is a part of the world. And we're going to have to face that. And it's going to jack things up along the way. But to have our hope in God and to know that he will be there for us through it all. And I think that throughout my life, like, no doubt, that's been my sure and steady foundation to carry me, carry me on.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, it is a shift in thinking from, I'm entitled to everything going well. I'm entitled to my dreams coming true, exactly how I envision them. I'm entitled to reap the rewards of everything that I've worked for. Exactly. Like, I want to read them. Going back to the promise that you just repeated that actually, what we can expect is trouble. What we can expect is trials. What we can expect is for things not to go our way, for things not to always just be a smooth road. And I love that you brought up that verse because the comfort is not that, but it'll all work out in the end how you want it to. The comfort is, but take heart, Christ has already overcome the world, so it's in Him.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And it's not about us and our abilities, but in his promise and his gift.

[Allie Stuckey]

Right, so after this, you didn't just continue surfing and riding some little waves, you continued competing, right?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, so I went on to win a national title two years later. And then that kind of projected me towards a professional career. And so that was super fun. Like, I am just a surfer and mermaid at heart. And so that's my happy place and my element. Like, yeah, it was really fun to push myself and really, like, push female surfing. And so I had an awesome time. I wouldn't say my competitive career was as successful as I maybe could have been, but there was a lot of rad moments along the way. And I would say the highlight of my surfing career is probably creating my documentary Unstoppable, which we started to create that as a 10 minute short film, just me pushing it in the ocean. And then it kind of turned into a bigger project. But there is the 10 minute short film within the documentary, capturing me pushing female surfing and pushing myself in big waves, little waves, competitive, progressive female surfing. And so it was just so fun to push myself. And I had a baby along the way, so I Share like the entering into motherhood journey. And then we just bring our little guy along for the ride. He has more passport stamps and his passport than most humans, which is pretty cool for him. And it was just such an amazing adventure. And with the support of my husband, of course, he was like, hey, you only have so much more time to like really push it with surfing. So let's just like kind of go all in the next few years and then we'll start a family. But the first little guy came a little earlier than planned and then. Yeah, but yeah, it was just an awesome adventure and I loved every second of it. And then four kids later, I'm still surfing pretty world class level. Like, you know, I could make a heat and yeah, still shine out there, but just kind of focusing on motherhood and having fun and getting my children to the beach and.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I have lots of questions about motherhood and all of that. But I'm curious how you felt as, as a teenager when your story became basically international news. Because I knew who you were when I was, you know, when I was young, when I was a teenager, everyone knew what had happened to you and even your testimony of faith. And I grew up in the evangelical world and so we love those testimonies, I think, for great reason. And so I knew your story and your name and have for a long time. What did you think about that when it became this, you know, the testimony that was heard around the world?

[Bethany Hamilton]

It was crazy because that was right when social media was just kind of barely getting off the ground. It might have been MySpace days or like early Facebook days, but my story went viral without the social media. It was crazy, like literally worldwide. Yeah. And I actually like hated it. Like, I hated being in the public eye. I was like, more reserved, like, just happy to be surfing. Like, just wanted to be with my friends, you know, teenager vibes. Vibes. But like a good teenager vibe too though. Like we were just rambling and adventuring in nature. So that was super hard for me. But I also had that like, heart to encourage and inspire others. So I kind of like fought it, fought the nature to want to like hide and was still willing to share my story. And I think my mom, mom and dad kind of pushed me along too, you know, But. But they were also awesome in the way that they did it, I would say, though, they also probably didn't fully comprehend what was going on. But I. And then I remember we went to write my book, Soul Surfer, and I was like, okay, let's do this. Literally, my teenage brain was like, I'm going to write this book so I never have to tell my story again. So we write the book. I would sit with the pastor friend who's an author, Rick Bunchu. He would sit with me for, like, 10 minutes. And then I'm like, I'm done, like, 10 minutes at a time. So we, like, slowly inched along and wrote this book. And then it came out, and I didn't realize I had to do, like, a media tour. So they're like, I won't go to New York City. I'm doing all these interviews. I hated interviews. It was just not my forte. But God was doing his thing and sharing my story and doing it for a good reason. And it was just so cool to hear so many people from so many different walks of life from all over the world just so inspired by my story. And, like, just so many children would pick up Soul Surfer and read that when they had never read a book before, or just people going through immense hardship and remembering that they can keep going. And so it's just so, so amazing to see how even that dysfunctional teenager that wanted nothing to do with being in front of a camera or doing any sort of interviews or writing any sort of books, still, God still worked through her.

[Allie Stuckey]

God used that totally. How did you meet your husband?

[Bethany Hamilton]

So Adam and I, he finished college, he had a teaching degree, and then he ended up out in Hawaii to help a friend start a young life chapter. He was like, oh, I'm done with college. Like, a little free season. And then our friends just loved him so much. They wanted to keep him out there and find him a wife, and they set us up. And then we kind of hit it off pretty quick. He just gave me a call, and we met up at the beach, and we jumped off a cliff into the ocean. And he's from Kansas. He's a ball guy, not an ocean guy. Yeah, there's a big difference. Like, a lot of, like, muscle heads from the gyms or, like, ball guys who are, like, super athletic. Like, you get them in the ocean and they're just kind of, like, barely making it. So it was so funny because I was, like, just such a mermaid. And we're, like, really different backgrounds, but also, like, similar in upbringing. And, yeah, we hit it off and kind of went from there. Got married about a year later and.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, how long have you all been married now?

[Bethany Hamilton]

10 years. 10 years, 4 babies and doing life together. He helps kind of, like, keep everything going, and we just kind of teamwork all Aspects of life.

[Allie Stuckey]

Okay. How do you surf while pregnant?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah. So how I like to say, for me, surfing is kind of like walking. Like, you know you're gonna walk when you're pregnant. And for me, I kind of just surf while I'm pregnant.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Like, I would say towards. Once I start getting a bit bigger, I put more weight up on my upper chest. Got it. And kind of like perch and. And then there's certain types of waves that are better for surfing when I'm pregnant. So I pick my waves a little more strategically.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yes.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And I don't know, I surf till seven months with my first couple.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And then six and a half months with my second two.

[Allie Stuckey]

Okay.

[Bethany Hamilton]

So. And there was never, like a moment of, like, worry for baby. And. Yeah. In Hawaii, too, I will say, a lot of women surf till literally the day they're giving birth. Like, it's a cultural thing. So then you get on social media and you like, post stuff like that and people are like, what are you doing? Be careful. I'm like, of course. Be careful. Like, duh.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Like, thanks for reiterating what we all already know.

[Allie Stuckey]

Women can do a lot more just in general while pregnant than people think. Especially, like, for I, you know, I had, like, had a friend who was a CrossFitter, and she was really into CrossFit. And then when she got pregnant, she continued to do CrossFit, like, all through her pregnancy. And of course, like you said, there are precautions that you take modifications and things like that, but pregnancy isn't like a disease that you necessarily have to stop doing everything for.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And I will say there was moments in certain pregnancies where I had to slow down and ease up. Like, I had pubic symposis disorder at one point and had to do some rehabilitation after. And so, like, there's some element of, like, I do respect, like, what the body is going through. Like, I think there is an element, like, I personally am not going to go on a run when I'm eight, nine months pregnant. Like, I think for me, it just wouldn't be good. I try to be really in tune with what's going on, but surfing is actually more gentle than you would think. And so. And like, also someone who runs all the time, like, maybe their body's more used to that and can handle it. Though I think there something to be said about the relaxing going through the body. I'm really into health, so I do dive deep on a lot of this stuff and try to problem solve any issues I might be having. So there Is an element of, like, your body is going through a lot of transitions. So I kind of, like, try to balance that out. And with my fourth baby, I was way less active. But I feel like my recovery was amazing after. So it's just a balancing act, I do think, listening to your body and just paying attention. But, yeah, being a surfer, like, to me, it's like walking on the sidewalk. So, yeah, just kind of good.

[Allie Stuckey]

It didn't feel like a workout to you? I am, like, major waddler. And pregnancy, like, after halfway. I personally can't imagine running, even though I've never surfed and surfing would be, like. It would be probably really, really hard for me. But I can imagine if I did have surfing skills that easier while pregnant than running. Because run, like you said, the relaxing, it just makes every. Like, your hips and your pelvis are so different. I can't imagine being able to run without waddling. But you do see the women who are, you know, they're track stars, and that's just what they do. It's like surfing for you. Like, they can do it. I can't imagine.

[Bethany Hamilton]

I'm curious, too, though, is because you do see a lot of these stories. Like, I want to hear the ins and outs. Like, was there any issues that. Five, ten years following? Yeah, like, me, I think I maybe pushed it a little too much. And so I've had to do some rehabilitation at times, like with the pelvic floor and. But for the most part, I would say I took really good care of my body. Always focus on alignment because of having one arm, and so I can nerd out on that. I probably won't do that with you today, Ali. That's okay.

[Allie Stuckey]

You can. We like talking about pregnancy and birth and all those things a lot, so you're welcome to do that things. So, okay, so you met your husband about. And y'all, you said that you dated like, a year or so?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, it was just over a year. We were met in May and then married the next August. But I was traveling a lot in between that time, so it felt like, you know, I'm probably like, nine months, but.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Allie Stuckey]

And then now you have four kids, and your youngest is how old?

[Bethany Hamilton]

My youngest as of today, she's 10 months. And then we have three boys. My oldest is eight, and it's awesome.

[Allie Stuckey]

You have three boys and a girl?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Allie Stuckey]

Oh, my goodness. That's amazing. And they help. Do they help take care of their sister and protect their sister?

[Bethany Hamilton]

My. My boys are so sweet. So beautiful to see their like, brotherly love. And I look at it as paternal instinct as well. Like, one day, hopefully, God willing, mama can have some grandma grand grandchildren.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

But yeah, it's been really fun. I definitely think having like, like four, my fourth was definitely the easiest because I had the helpers. So.

[Allie Stuckey]

True.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, they're there to help support, you know, if Aleya's fussing in the car while we're driving, I'm like, hound her toys, give her snacks, and they can do that. Smile and they're super helpful.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah. How soon do you get your babies on the water, Aleyah?

[Bethany Hamilton]

I haven't gotten her on a surfboard or in the ocean even that much. It's just been, like, been kind of hectic and in the winter it gets more blustery and kind of just like less desirable. But this, this summer we'll get out there and get her in like little splash pools along the ocean and.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, just. Yeah, just as soon as possible. You kind of get them like used to the water.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yes. But like my three year old, he doesn't really surf, but he'll surf on daddy's shoulders. So dad will take him out and he'll ride on his shoulders. Or they like tandeming. My six year loves tandeming and boarding.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Allie Stuckey]

That's so fun. Let's talk a little bit about a subject that you've started speaking up about in the past couple of years that I'm sure that you got a lot of support for on social media and then a lot of detractors, of course, because it can be a polarizing subject and that is the protection of women's sports. And my audience doesn't need an explanation for that. We've seen changes with Title nine, of course, this is something that unfortunately has been pushed for quite a few years now, but allowing males to compete against women in the name of accepting gender identity. You decided to speak out about this. And so I just, I want to hear why you decided to make a stand, because you could have decided not to.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yes. So it's super interesting. The World Surf League, I was competing in a women's pipe event that was just before the World Surf League, which is kind of like our main competitive tour. And they emailed the entire tour, hey, this is a new rule. Just giving you a heads up. And the new rule was they were allowing males to compete against females. And nobody got any precursor or pre warning. It was just in an email. Boom. And I was, I had heard whispers and I told a couple of the girls that were on the main Tour. And I was like, hey, did you hear about this? Like, I'm hearing whispers like, this is crazy. And they're like, no way it's gonna happen. Like, kind of doubting.

[Allie Stuckey]

And they said the, the new rule was, did they say transgender women or did they just say it's gonna be co editor?

[Bethany Hamilton]

I don't remember the exact wording. But basically, males could now compete in the female division. Trans males. Got it. And so I was just like, oh, my goodness, this is horrible. Like, I've seen what's going on in other sports and I just knew that my, like, first of all, I'm very much so against that. And so, you know, I kind of hold to my values and I stand firm with what I believe and try not, you know, I don't really deviate much, you know, in my life. I guess that sounds weird. I am very, like, kind of like more black and white, I guess.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

But what really upset me about what was going on was the World Surf League in January, prior to telling the girls what was going to go on, and the guys, they had all the athletes sign no disparaging agreement. You cannot say anything against the World Surf League. And so here you have all the girls on tour. I would say at least 70% of them for sure were against it. And they've all signed a non disparaging agreement. You'll get kicked off and you'll be fine if you speak out.

[Allie Stuckey]

Wow.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And so I'm like, oh, my goodness. Like, none of the girls, you know, they could have spoke out. They make enough money to receive the fine, but they would be throwing their careers in the trash. So, you know, all of them decided not to speak out. Yeah, it wasn't like I was really having conversations with them, but, you know, you can just go on social media and find out real quick. And so I just decided it was my time to shine.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Not very excited about it though, because I knew it was just going to be gnarly out there. And yeah, I just, I mean, my way, my approach was very much just asking questions. I didn't even state my opinion in the public. I just asked a bunch of questions. Like, because in the rule it talked about, you know, must be on a hormone replacement for like 9 or 12 months and must reach a certain number on the hormone levels. See, even still to this day, I can barely even talk about it in like a political fashion. Like, I'm not very political. I just think of it from more of like everyday Joe perspective. So still I'm like, are you Kidding me. Like, we're not just a hormone level here. And yeah, so yeah, it was crazy, but I'm really happy I did it. Like I just. And that was before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. But I was like, if I ever have a daughter and I don't stand up for her and like somehow she's one day competing and a super talent in surfing or whatever sport she might choose, like, I want her to have the opportunity to win a world title without competing against males.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And so when I had my daughter, I was like, oh my gosh, this is emotional. Like thinking about like her future and all the young girls that are up and comers and just thinking, you know, as of now there haven't been any males competing on the main World Surf League that I know of. There was one male that won a men's event and then he went and won the women's event like a year or two later. And so that was just crazy to me that people are accepting that I'm like, this doesn't really equal up to me to have someone compete in the men's win and then compete in the women's and win. And everyone's like just whispers and chip chips. But I would say people out of the woodworks were thanking me. Like, I would say the majority of people are in agreement with, with my viewpoints or with me standing up against it. I would say I am pretty disappointed that not more women spoke up. Like none of the former world title women spoke up. Women who have had amazing opportunities to compete in an equal playing field. So that was super disappointing. And none of the men really spoke up either. I'm like, where is the men at? Just because it's not your issue. It is in a sense, especially if you guys have daughters someday or something. So that to me was pretty disappointing as well.

[Allie Stuckey]

So you said you were not going to compete.

[Bethany Hamilton]

So I said I'm not competing in any World Surf League events. I did cheat a little because I surfed in this one event that was like sanctioned World Surf League. But the only reason why they sanctioned it was because they wanted to have the, the World Tour surfers be able to be a part of the event. But I checked in unveils to see if any guys were going to be in the girls division and there weren't. And so I was like, I'm going to bend my own rules for this one. Because it was that pipeline too, which is just a world renowned wave. And it's really hard to have a moment out There without any other surfers, but. And the company who puts on that event, they didn't even want the World Safe League a part of it. They just did the sanctioning so they could have a few of the athletes from their. Into their event.

[Allie Stuckey]

Okay. And so did they respond to you at the time? Because this was February of last year, right?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, February last year. I don't think I ever got a response. I think I just got silencing.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

I don't know if you know this part, but so fast forward a little bit. They have, they do this special event where all the athletes can put a woman who they admire on their jersey, so their last name on their jersey. And then they can like give kudos to that if in their post interviews if they win their heats. And I think there was like a large number of athletes, I mean, maybe not large, maybe at least five. Five or more athletes who wanted Bethany on their jersey. They were applauding me. They're like, she is. You know, I don't know what they're saying about me. But anyway, the World Surf League did not allow them to have Bethany on their jersey. And they just either put some name, they just changed the name for them or they asked them for another name. I'm not even sure. All the details I didn't talk firsthand. I'm not really one to like go and like, you know, dig out the juicy details. Like I just do my thing and I live my life and I move on. And so. But that was just like embarrassing to me for the World Surf League to silence me. And then this year they didn't even do that jersey O day. So that was interesting because they were.

[Allie Stuckey]

Afraid that more people would.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, they got a lot of backlash and whatnot. I think, I think there was, I mean, I don't know how much backlash. I saw a little bit of backlash online, but I'm literally one of the most. I'm probably the most world renowned female surfer ever known in all of history and maybe the most renowned surfer in all of history. And the World Surf League was like, nope, not having her on your jersey.

[Allie Stuckey]

Wow.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Oh my. Whatever. Whatever. I just laugh about it, you know, you can't get too upset about all this political drama and like. Well, I think we do need to be upset to a certain extent.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

But like, don't let it like eat away at your life. Like, I feel like I had a learning season where things were eating away at me and I'm like, I don't want to live my life. Life with that, like just being annoyed with the world around me. Like, I just want to be like a happy mom and a happy wife and like a good friend to the people around me and like a good example to those around me.

[Allie Stuckey]

And so it's definitely a balance because on the one hand you see things like the changes to title nine and like, as a mom of daughters, there's a lot of people who are mothers with daughters, but sons too. Because it affects everyone. Yeah. It's like, of course you're upset about this and of course you're thinking about the future and you're like, well, like you have to think, well, girls even have girl sports. Or will it just be. Basically you've got boy sports and then you've got co ed sports. You've got boys bathrooms and then you have co ed bathrooms, boys locker rooms, co ed locker rooms. And the same thing with prisons, with rape shelters, with domestic abuse shelters. Like all of these places where vulnerable women or girl and girls are being forced to be with men and boys and they're put in danger. And so I think there is a level of frustration and anger and angst that someone should have because it motivates them. Like it motivated you to say something. But you're absolutely right, it can't dominate your whole life because frankly, there's not something that we can do about it. Every second of every day, and most of our day is filled with the mundane, quote unquote of being a mom and being a friend and being a church member and being a wife and all those things matter too.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Allie Stuckey]

And they can't just, just be shrouded by our frustration and anger. So there is such a balance. I agree.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah. It's like the best mundane ever too.

[Allie Stuckey]

Totally.

[Bethany Hamilton]

I really feel like if you are stressing out about everything going on in the world all the time, it affects the most beautiful God given gifts and roles that you've been given. And so for me, like, I just try to find that balance of like, like I stand, you know, I stand where I stand. And then I'm. I try not to like, let it eat away at me, but I'm also not gonna just sit on the sidelines and.

[Allie Stuckey]

Right.

[Bethany Hamilton]

I feel like too, a lot of, like, it's just such an interesting thing because I feel like if women just said no, like this wouldn't be an issue. Like if all the female surfers, if the 70% that disagreed with that, if they all said no, then the World Surf League would not have an option but to disregard the rule Yeah, I mean, they could try to disregard it and see what happens. I mean, there are some other girls that maybe would qualify and, like, make a new tour, but I feel like if 70% of the women just said no, like, it literally wouldn't be an issue. And so that's also kind of frustrating to see.

[Allie Stuckey]

What do you say to people who say, well, why does it really matter in surfing? You know, someone could say, I could see how it matters in a sport where teams are interacting like contact sports. But how does it really make a difference, male, female, and surfing?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, I mean, the strength of men in general is just substantially stronger. Like, for example, my husband, he's two years older than me, but he's quite a bit bigger than me. I literally work out probably for a while. I worked out way more than him, especially when I was, like, training a lot for surfing. And there's just no way I could, like, keep up with his strength levels. Like, it's just not humanly possible. And I know there's some women that, like, get crazy nuts and, like, push it with weightlifting. And, like, in CrossFit, like, you see these, like, beastly women. I don't know what other word to use, but, like, they're just super strong, and they're incredible, and they're like. Like lifting. I. I don't know if it's all natural or what, but, like, you see these women doing these crazy things, but in surfing, there is quite a big gap. Like, there's a lot of women absolutely shredding, absolutely ripping. But, for example, big wave surfing, men just paddle way faster and way stronger. Yeah, there's the odd girl. But, like, if you're gonna be put into, like, a speed race, like, men are just way faster and way stronger. And so you get into a big wave situation and you have men and women competing against each other. For example, there's a Eddie Aikaw. It's the biggest. One of the most respectable big wave events in Hawaii in memory of Eddie Ikau, who is just an incredible Hawaiian surfer who dedicated his life to the people around him, to his culture, and he died trying to save people. And he was the first Hawaiian Olympian. But they had this event, and they just put a girl in each heat to make it, like, fair. Because Hawaii has some rules that if you do a men's event, you have to have a women's opportunity as well. But I'm like, the girls aren't making heats. Like, they're getting smoked by the guys. Like, it's just not. We're just not probably ever gonna fully bridge that gap. And while I think it's actually really fun to try to bridge that gap and like you have some of these up and coming girl shredders that are doing like crazy errors and pushing it in big wave serving. But the truth is I just, I don't see that gap fully being bridged. And there's just the strength difference in particular is just, it's different and it's like the bone structure too is different, different. And so there's elements of like the female body and me personally, like, having bared children, Like, I just feel the difference. I don't know.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, definitely, I'm sure. It's just like, you know, almost any other sport, the fact that their hearts are bigger, they've got more muscle mass, they've got greater lung capacity. And I didn't even think about just like the speed of paddling. But of course, I mean, I don't know all of the ins and outs of surfing, but that makes sense. If you're faster and have longer arms, it's going to give you an advantage.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And then I often think about when I was a little girl, I would compete in all the boys divisions because I wanted to like, push myself and try to beat the boys. But then once they hit puberty, puberty, things change. Like the guys that I was beating when I was little, I'm not beating now. Like they're surfing quite a bit better than me and I'm still inspired by them and I'm still like pushed by them in my own way. Like, I love, like, I think most of the best of the best female surfers are watching the guys to glean off of inspiration, you know. Yeah, but yeah, that's of course that's.

[Allie Stuckey]

Why Title IX has existed because especially in puberty, when boys, testosterone skyrockets and women's don't, that's what makes all the difference. And that's really irreversible. And, and you know, like the questions that you asked in your original Instagram post, like, are women really just levels of hormones? Of course we're not. Because even a man who gets cross sex hormones and gets estrogen, he still went through male puberty period. And so he's got all the advantages of that.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, and it's interesting. There's that one trans guy, Caitlyn Jenners. Is it Caitlin or.

[Allie Stuckey]

He was the runner.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, yeah, he, like, I've heard rumors that he, or they, or whatever, they are just as strong. And even though he's been on hormone, like he's super duper strong and super duper.

[Allie Stuckey]

Which is weird.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah, it's weird that this is even a conversation. That's where I always end up. I'm like, why am I even talking about this?

[Allie Stuckey]

Why are you talking about this? But I mean, it's, you know, it's like throughout history there's always been that two plus two equals. Equals five question that tyrants want you to want to be able to control your thoughts and detach you from reality. I think this is the question of the time. But there's also, I mean, there's other issues too. I think of the denial of morality and reality and abortion. Like denying that it's a baby inside the womb and that it's a human being with value. And that's also something that you have advocated for on behalf of the dignity of babies, right?

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah. I am so honored to have partnered with every life. I love what the company is doing. Not only are they creating great diapers, but they're fighting for life. They're the only pro life or a life affirming diaper brand on the market. Which is so weird to me.

[Allie Stuckey]

So weird.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Or that I know of at least.

[Allie Stuckey]

You know, but it's like, why? But it's so true. A lot of these big diaper companies, they advocate for killing their future customers. You would think that they would all be pro life, but they're really not.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Yeah. And I think when you think of pro choice or pro abortion, the movement, to me it's founded under. Founded with selfishness. Like it's just all about the woman and what she wants versus, like acknowledging that there's a human life. I finally just watched this movie. What was it called? Unplanned.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah. So good.

[Bethany Hamilton]

It was really great. It was a little corny for me, I'll be honest. But like some of the points hit in the film are just pretty heart wrenching. And I don't know, now being a mom too and like feeling my baby wiggling in me at like 13 weeks, 14 weeks, it's just hard to deny that. And I just think that society has normalized convenience and they just don't want to be a mom or dad and so they'll just kill the baby. And I just want to inspire our next generation that to me, motherhood's the greatest gift I've ever been given. And I would like to think that if I was in a worst case scenario and happened to conceive a baby and that, you know, I don't need to divulge what the worst case Scenarios are. But I hope and pray that I would choose life and that I would allow that beautiful baby to enter into the world. And I would hope. You know, I have a friend who, she's a single mom and she's one of the most inspiring moms I know. Like, every conversation I have with her inspires me to be a better moment. And it hasn't been easy for her, but she's rocked it and her son is doing amazing. And so, yeah, I just think it needs to be more of an open conversation too for our young people to hear. Because our young people are constantly being told, like, pro choice, like, kill your baby. Like, it's fine, like it's not that big of a deal, but there are a lot of repercussions that come with it. On top of being guilty, you're killing a human life. And like God calls us to not kill. And so to me, that alone is like the greatest reason. Just, thou shall not kill.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah, thou shall not murder, definitely. And I mean organizations like Every Life and Pro Life Pregnancy centers, which I've visited so many and talked to so many, I mean, they're doing amazing work. Like those desperate situations that you were referencing are real. Of course there are moms in crisis, moms in abuse situations, moms in poverty, all kinds of situations in which a woman might get pregnant and say, like, I just can't do this right now. And of course Planned Parenthood is going to say, sure, just pay us your 800 bucks or however much and we'll kill your baby. You'll never regret it. It'll never be a problem. But it's not true. It's a lie. They never show them the truth of what an abortion is or what is happening inside their womb. But these Pro Life Pregnancy Centers and Pro Life organizations truly are just like the hands and feet of Jesus in the most non judgmental, loving and embracing way. They take these women in. They not only share the gospel with them, but they provide them with so many resources, help, material needs. They help connect them to adoptive families if they want to put their child up for adoption. And so like there are ways for anyone out there who's like, well, I don't want to be pro life because, or I don't want to vote pro life or whatever it is because these moms who are in desperate situations, well be a part of the solution rather than just talking about the problem because there are a lot of institutions all already working to serve these women and we can be a part of like that life saving effort. We don't just have to advocate for killing babies because that's the easier thing to do.

[Bethany Hamilton]

I love, I just did a speaking event for the organization Save the Storks.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

And I love what they're doing because they're trying to create or they're buying and making mobile pregnancy crisis trucks or vans. So they're going to areas where they know it's a crisis area and they're coming alongside of the women and supporting them to just have the full scope. What's it called? The full.

[Allie Stuckey]

Not scope, but like, are you talking about prenatal care? Yeah.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Or to know, have all the knowledge of what's actually going on if you abort your baby and the full array of your options, so to say. And. But they're even helping the women like find jobs and figure out a place to live. Like they're going the extra mile. They're really coming alongside of these women and supporting them. And sometimes the fathers, if the father's a part of the situation. And I think of adoption a lot and I think it's just so beautiful. And there's so many couples that are having a hard time conceiving now. And so I feel like that's an area where we could kind of dig into and figure out a better way of doing it because it seems like every couple I've talked to who adopts, it's a really hard process. So I almost feel like maybe that's an area we tackle as a nation. Whoever's out there who's a mover and shaker and has nothing to do, maybe this can be your thing. But yeah, there's options. And I just think saving lives, life is so important and our God given duty to put human life at the utmost value.

[Allie Stuckey]

Yeah. Amen. Well, thank you so much just for your courage and sharing your story. And I know that the Lord has given you that courage and giving you that strength. But even as you've just like the different stages of your life have evolved and now you're a mom still surfing. But you are, I don't know, embodying like a new kind of strength and courage with every stage that you're in. And I just appreciate it as a woman in. And I look up to you and I know I speak for so many in my audience when I say that. So I just appreciate you so much. Keep standing up for these things that matter because all of us appreciate when someone with a platform uses their voice.

[Bethany Hamilton]

Thanks, Sally. Glad to be here.