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The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
1KHO 531: What Happens When You Don’t Give Up | Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer
00:55:41
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- [00:00]
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- [00:30]
Jenny Urch
Welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Jenny Urch. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside and I have today someone who epitomizes being outside for her whole life. Childhood, all the way through adulthood. Bethany Hamilton, world renowned surfer. Welcome.
- [00:47]
Bethany Hamilton
Thank you. Aloha. I'm so glad to be here, though I might prefer to be outside right now.
- [00:53]
Jenny Urch
I know, well, this is kind of part of your life, right? Like, you have this balance and I feel the same way. There's a balance of interviews and different media opportunities and writing books and things that take you inside when your heart is drawing you outside. But I would love to kick off. I mean, so first of all, I didn't realize that surfing, and this is going to sound really dumb, but, like, surfing, there's competitions I love, like, the parts of society that, like, you don't totally know about. We live in Michigan.
- [01:21]
Bethany Hamilton
Right.
- [01:21]
Jenny Urch
There is not really any surfing here. And so you just don't totally realize that there is this, like, incredible world out there where people are, like, using jet Skis and pulling out surfboards. And I mean, it's really incredible. But you have this story where it started with your parents of this just deep love for surfing. So I would love to start with your parents. Like, your dad is living in a tent in order to surf. Like, he loves it that much. He's surfing in the freezing cold and pouring hot water on his wet suit because he's, like, going in the freezing cold.
- [01:56]
Bethany Hamilton
Right.
- [01:57]
Jenny Urch
You just talk about your parents and that love of surfing and then, like, you probably just was such a second nature to you growing up.
- [02:05]
Bethany Hamilton
Totally. Yeah. My parents are definitely my role models when it comes to, like, instilling that love for nature and surfing in particular. And my dad's from Ocean City, New Jersey, and apparently his dad regrets buying him a surfboard because he got my dad a surfboard one Christmas. And then my dad took that board and kept paddling away from, like, life with it in a sense. Like, he just fell in love with surfing. He would surf all winter Long. And this was in the early days when they didn't even have like proper wetsuits. He was wearing like a. A scuba diving wetsuit to survive the cold winter surf season. And eventually that brought him out to Hawaii because Hawaii is known for its incredible waves. After he fought in the Vietnam War, he made his way out to Hawaii. And then that's where he met my mom, who is a total surf babe from Southern California. Her and her sister actually were like some of the original OG female surfers in San Diego. When they were 13 years old, they saved up their money to buy themselves a surfboard. And it was such a big surfboard back then that they had to teamwork carrying it because it was so heavy. And then they would take turns surfing and they just became hooked on it. And then same thing with my mom. She moved out to Hawaii pursuing. She was just a mermaid pursuing her love for the ocean. And that's where she met my dad, her husband. They eventually got married and then, lo and behold, they eventually came to the Christian faith, you know, in the early 70s. And so they kind of raised my brothers and I in a household of like, love for the ocean and riding waves and love for God and. Yeah, I feel really blessed with my childhood and being gifted to such great things to be the foundation of my life.
- [04:03]
Jenny Urch
I mean, it's incredible to watch. I've watched your. The movie that was made about you in the documentary and to see the videos, especially like the old home videos, and to see, I guess, how vivacious of a child that you were. And that's changed. You know, you don't necessarily see kids as much in these day and ages that are like, so excited about life and so exuberant and that really comes through. And I think that's what we want for our kids. And it gives you this idea that sort of, no matter what it is, if you can find something that lights your child up or if you. One of the things that people say, Bethany, is have passions yourself, right? Like, what if your parents, if your parents would not have had those passions? And I mean, they really went for them. You said your dad was like, he's like living in a tent in order so he can surf and his tent gets washed away, you know, because he doesn't know it's like in some ditch or something like that. But that level of passion.
- [05:01]
Bethany Hamilton
They both lived in Volkswagen vans at some point, like total surf hippies. And just like moving out here in their early 70s and just pursuing their love for riding waves. And so they had My brothers and I on boards before we could walk. And you know, we just grew up at the beach. My mom, this was in the early 70s, so I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but my mom would bring a pen, pen down on the beach and put us in it and then she'd go surf for a little bit. But like the pen was like she could see it, you know, she's only like a one minute paddle away from us. But she would do stuff like that. Like nowadays no one would ever do that. But, but like what would be the.
- [05:46]
Jenny Urch
Difference if you're cooking dinner and you've got your kid in a play pen in the living room? It's like if you're, if you're close by, right?
- [05:53]
Bethany Hamilton
Totally.
- [05:54]
Jenny Urch
I just was really struck by the fact that your parents passion. Because I just think in life as an adult it's so easy to not have passions. It's like so easy to just do like work and dinner and chores. But you see in your family story that your parents, they set out to do this and now it trickles down to the kids and not just you, but your brothers are surfing and they're doing bodyboards or boogie boarding.
- [06:20]
Bethany Hamilton
Boogie board.
- [06:20]
Jenny Urch
Like your brother's got like these flippers on and he's like flipping around Anyway, but beyond that, your brothers, even as teenagers, we're like really invested in your success in learning like photography and videography and even like almost like management.
- [06:38]
Bethany Hamilton
Totally. So it's so interesting because, you know, I have a little like funny take on sports and stuff. You know, not every child's gonna become a professional athlete. But by the age of like 12, I was ripping really hard and winning just about every surf contest. And then I even went to the nationals and finished SP second at 12 years old in the 17 and under division. So I was really rocking it. And at that point my brothers were already into videography and photography. Like they were doing that for work. So they would naturally go and film their super shredder little sister and they would also take me into surf. That was too big for me or too gnarly, so to say. Like, you know, really pushed me to surf bigger waves than I wanted. But I also kind of wanted that. Like, I liked that push, push. I liked that fear factor. I wanted that. And so yeah, they like my older, my one brother was four years older and the other was eight years older. So he was already like driving by the time I was a little teenager. And then even after I lost my arm, everyone was on board to help me figure out how to surf with one arm. And yeah, it was definitely unique family environment and I feel like we still have a lot of the same dynamics. Like now I'm taking my nephews surfing alongside of my own children and my niece. Like I, I was taking her out because I, I'm, I'm invested in them having fun in the ocean too and carrying on this family tradition and love for riding waves.
- [08:12]
Jenny Urch
Wow. Yeah. What an interesting thing that it opened up the door for a lot of opportunities. The fact that your parents were so passionate and then there's things for you and there's things for the brothers and everybody's doing it together as a family and now it's gone a generation younger. What an incredible thing. So, so talk to us then about being a girl in surfing. So you say that when your mom. It was interesting changes. So I'm not super familiar with the world like I, I told you because you have a brand new podcast out which is super exciting. It's called All Things Possible with Bethany Hamilton. We just recorded on there and the only experience I don't even have, it's my kids is in Hanalei Bay. And we came in 20, we came for an anniversary, so I can't quite remember. It would have been 20, 23 and, and our kids did it and it was phenomenal. It was so cool seeing them carry their boards and. But I don't have a big background in it. I don't really hardly know anything. So you talk about a couple big changes. First of all, you talk about like a leash that there wasn't that. And also that it wasn't super popular in Hawaii either, that people didn't totally know about it. It was like a little bit more kept secret. And also that girls were a rarity in the sport. So it must have been incredible for your mom to see you go so far. Can you talk about some of the changes that have happened over the past several decades with surfing?
- [09:28]
Bethany Hamilton
No, totally like kind of how I shared earlier too. My mom and her sister were super first gen female surfers in San Diego. And back then the boards were like so heavy. They had the teamwork carrying it. Whereas now I carry my surfboard. It's light as a feather. It's like five, seven pounds heavy. Just so simple to get myself out in the surf. So surfing has progressed in a lot of incredible ways. And then even I became a professional surfer. So, you know, I was actually able to make a living off of surfing in my era, whereas even today it's A little harder than it was, like, you know, 10 years ago when I was at the prime of my career. You know, just economic challenges have hindered, like, maybe Only the top 10 professional surfers are really making a great living, and then some are making a living by maybe YouTubing and being more of, like, a character within the sport.
- [10:25]
Jenny Urch
Yeah.
- [10:26]
Bethany Hamilton
But, yeah, it's been really cool. Like, yeah, my parents would swim for their boards, whereas now I have a leash, and I have it easy. I don't have to swim. Even though I fall off my board all the time, I have my leash attached to me. And it's just such a. I don't know, it's such an incredible environment, like, for me, while it became my profession, it's also just always been my passion. And I have gained so much by learning from the ocean, pushing myself in the ocean, trying to better myself so that I can surf the best that I can. And I would say that in the peak of my career, as shown in my documentary Unstoppable, it kind of carries from childhood to motherhood, specifically around my surfing career. And you can kind of see the ups and downs and the journeys that I had. But I really wanted to push female surfing, and I would say that I did that in a lot of ways, even with one arm, and it's just been so fun. But, you know, you kind of brought up, like, my parents and them passing that passion. But for me, my mom actually kind of, like, slowly let go of surfing after she had me, and that really made a big impact on me. I was like, as soon as I had my first child, I was like, I am not letting go of surfing. I want to be in the ocean out there with my children, surfing together. And so I've definitely, like, taken this perspective of, like, taking care of myself and keeping a hold of my passion. And thankfully, my husband, like, and I have the freedom where he can, like, let me go get. Get a few waves or even now, like, yesterday, I paddled out. My oldest son hung out with my daughter, and then they just waved me in when she was, like, wanting me back. And so I just went and caught five waves real quick. And I think it's good for our children to see us enjoying something that we're passionate about, and that instills something in them that, like, they see, see their parents, you know, working at something or enjoying finding pleasure in life and, you know, taking a little time for ourselves. And I don't like that to an extreme, of course, but, yeah, it's just, like, such a Dream taking my children surfing and surfing with them and sharing this passion that they're growing to love too.
- [12:40]
Jenny Urch
Yeah. I read this book called Take Back the Game by Linda Flanagan, and it's about kind of like the toxic youth sports culture. And she had this question in there that really changed my perspective on a lot of things. She said, how are we presenting adulthood? I was like, oh, that's really deep. Because her premise was, in a lot of ways, we're presenting it like it's a boring destination where it's like you get to spend your childhood doing all these cool things and playing sports and seeing friends, and then you hit adulthood and you have to work and you pay bills and you don't ever. And you just sit on the sidelines.
- [13:15]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah.
- [13:15]
Jenny Urch
And so I think it's fantastic and it's such an inspiring thing, obviously for your own family, but also for other moms out there who have young children. You know, they can see you out on the boat, you're like, nursing, give the baby back. Nursing. You know, here's the baby and you still, you go do the thing. So I, I think that's super inspiring. And I would imagine that gives a lot of life to your children and a lot for them to look forward to as they grow up. So what a really cool thing out there, serving with your own kids. One of the interesting things about the surfing is that it also portrays something that I don't think we talk about quite a bit, that nature can hold the passion of any age person. A lot of times, Bethany, people ask about teens, they're like, well, what do we do about the teens? You know, my kid's 11 now or my kid's 13 and all they want to do is be on the screen. But you watch a documentary like yours, and whether it's surfing, if you live in an area where you can do that, or it's some other nature sport, like, it's not a sport. Like, I mean, I know you have teams, right? There are surf teams, but it's an athletic thing that you can do in nature that could occupy a person all the way through their whole life.
- [14:26]
Bethany Hamilton
Right. It's so beautiful, the culture out here in Kauai and Hawaii in general. Like, I found inspiration in, you know, 80 year olds who are out there still surfing. And there's this one auntie that I've been surfing with so since I was a little girl. And she body surfs, so she's kind of getting older, but she's always been out there. And the reason why she stands out is because she swims with. She body surfs mostly naked. So ever since I was little, I'd always see Auntie out there body surfing. She'd be side by side. I'm like, hi, Auntie, Auntie Bobo. Like and. But like she's been doing it.
- [15:06]
Jenny Urch
What even is body surfing? So you would swim out where you.
- [15:09]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah, all you. She spins so you have fins on because help you like catch the waves.
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Jenny Urch
So she's naked except for. So her butt is in the air while she's like surfing in on her own body.
- [15:21]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah, like you could see her a little bit, but like she just had such like, you know, I want to be like Auntie Bobo, when I'm 80 years old, I want to still get out there and swim around and enjoy the beautiful creation and just keep riding waves till as long as I possibly can. But it's really cool. Like I'll be out surfing and there will be like a 5 year old and an 80 year old and we're. And everyone in between and we're all surfing together and everyone's having a good time. And I just think like, it's definitely one of those sports that you can carry through the as long as you can in life, you know, as long as your body will allow you to be able to do it. And actually there was a fellow who, he had physical challenges and so he would lay down on his board and just prop up on his elbows. He recently passed away, I think, actually surfing, but he was out there charging and every time I'd see him, I'm like, you are a ray of sunshine. I love that you're still out here charging and just still getting that feeling of riding waves and the thrill that cannot compare to anything else in this life. It's just so unique, the feeling of riding waves. And so, yeah, it's just such a rad environment and it's such a healthy one too. You know, you're in nature. You don't. You can't bring your devices with your focus. Especially when you're up and riding on the wave. You truly can't think about the stress going on over there or the challenge you have coming up later on this week. You have to just literally be in tune with what's going on on this wave. And it's the ultimate form of kind of being present. And I love that. And I feel like we all need something like that because, you know, I actually like to work out too. I developed a love for working out just because I push myself in my sport and now it's something that's kind of like an outlet for me. So I try to get in a workout like twice a week. But when I'm working out, I can still think about, you know, the chaos that happened earlier or something later, what I need to be done. Like, I can't really like tune out what's going on in the back of my mind, but it's still a good thing for me. And I like being strong. I always think of emergency situations and like we push it pretty hard and we adventure like crazy situations. I'm like, I might have to swim my children out of here or I might have to carry them. Think piggyback my husband from A to B or something crazy like that. But yeah, I don't know, I just, the, the beauty of being present while riding a wave is it's pretty hard to find. And I just, I cherish that.
- [17:57]
Jenny Urch
Yeah, yeah. And what a thing to try, I think, to try and find something for your kids. Like if you're struggling with your teen or tween and screen time and can't get them off you. If you watch the documentary, it's like you get a really good sense of like there are things out there that could really light your kid up. And when you have that in your life, there's obviously screens are always going to have a pull, but at least there's something else that maybe has a stronger pull or at least once you get out there, then you're going to be glad that you're out there. And I love seeing that. This is all of these different ages and it can go until you're naked in 80. Start when you're really little, like you said even before you're walking and even if you're not out on the surfboard, well, you're out on the ocean side and you can watch. We came to. Now you're going to have to tell me where it is, but we came up the beach to where like there's a Volcom house and.
- [18:49]
Bethany Hamilton
Oh yeah, on Oahu.
- [18:51]
Jenny Urch
Yes, yes, yes.
- [18:53]
Bethany Hamilton
That's like the world renowned pipeline. That wave is like one of the most beautiful, magnificent waves in the whole entire world. But it's known because it's gnarly and scary, but incredible. And if someone gets a good wave out there, it's like the best ride of their life.
- [19:10]
Jenny Urch
Wow. Yeah, it was remarkable. Obviously we didn't do it. We watched.
- [19:15]
Bethany Hamilton
No, that's expert only.
- [19:16]
Jenny Urch
We tried to find where the Volcom house was and it was a pretty cool thing, but it was just really entertaining to sit and watch and to be, you know, just along the beach. And it's a reminder that nature holds so much for us and can be so engaging and to really work at investing to make sure that your kids have things that they really enjoy out there.
- [19:37]
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- [22:10]
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- [22:40]
Jenny Urch
I think one of the things that was really intriguing to me about the actual sport. So like I said, while I think I said it in this. I know we were just talking on your show but but didn't know too much about surfing in terms of like the competitions and things. I couldn't really think of another sport that's so dependent on nature because you're out there and you just have to like wait for the wave, right?
- [23:04]
Bethany Hamilton
It's so interesting. Surfing just recently got inducted into the Olympics. Now a lot of people will tune in and they're like, what's even going on? Because in the in surfing you have to wait for the waves. They only come in kind of patterns. So usually it's like two to five minutes in between sets, sometimes even longer. So you have to learn patience and picking the right wave. So when you're in competition, a lot of surfers think of it as more of like I'm competing against myself in the ocean, less about my competitor. Like, I need to pick the best wave, I need to perform and surf my best when I get that wave. And a lot of times you just can't even find the best wave. And so you might not advance even if you are the best surfer in the heat. And there's just like a lot of mental composure and being in tune with the ocean, like being able to read it right. There's a full art to reading the ocean. And it's interesting because I look at my eldest son and even my second eldest and they have this natural gift of reading the ocean. I'm like, this had to have been inherited because they have stuff in them that I could not have even taught them because it's being in tune with the ocean and being able to read when and where the wave is going to arrive at. And it's really beautiful to watch them. As a mom who, like, this is my passion, but there's certain aspects you can't really teach. Like, they have to learn it on their own. Yeah, it's just a joy, though. It's like, it really keeps you on your toes. And that's one thing I love about surfing, is every time I go out there, it's different from the time before. So while I may do it every single day, there's like a newness to it and there's a different swell and a different swell direction, and I'll surf different breaks. And it's just always fresh and invigorating and challenging. And some days you go out and actually don't have that much fun, and then other days you have like the ride of your life and you're just kind of on this adrenaline rush high. Like, I, I definitely have like, a little bit of an addiction to like, that need for like, that adrenaline rush where you're kind of feeling fearful, but, like, it's also beautiful and epic and awesome and it's just such a weird. I don't know, it's hard to explain.
- [25:24]
Jenny Urch
It's very unique, right? Because a lot of sports are very systematic. It's like if you were going to train for baseball, well, then you're going to learn how to do these different throws or these different catches. But the fact that it changes based off of nature is really unique. How do you train for that then?
- [25:42]
Bethany Hamilton
Just spending time out there, it's just the more time you're out there and you also, like, you can kind of study the patterns of the ocean. And like, for example, I'm kind of like a weather forecaster. Like, I'm always forecasting the weather. I'm looking at the wind, the swell direction, the tides, the energy of the swell. And I'm always looking into that so that I, you know, as a mom, I don't surf as much as I used to. And I'm fine with that because I want to be with my children. But I try to make my moments of getting in the ocean the, like the peak of the swell or the best moment in the swell. So I'm like, okay, I think this day at this time, hun, is this good if I sneak out and go for a quick surf and stuff like that. But yeah, just spending time and learning to read the ocean. It's just, it's a different form of reading, but you're reading nature and the ocean in that environment.
- [26:37]
Jenny Urch
What a unique thing. It's so interesting. Okay, so you're a teenager, you lose a limb. I think it's like something, you know, you think about here and they were like, what if I didn't have this arm or this leg or, you know, this certain situation? And it's a really big change because you have to learn how to redo things. And I love that. The doctor said. And this was in your book Soul Surfer, which is a great book. It was like, it's fantastic. It's like you wrote it when you were a teenager. I really liked it. I felt like it was a total page turner. It's got amazing reviews.
- [27:05]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah.
- [27:07]
Jenny Urch
And the doctor said, you know, there's going to be a lot of things that you have to learn how to do differently, but the list that you won't be able to do is very short of things you won't be able to do. So you talked about a couple of those, like buttoning, tying shoes. You know, there's a, there's a couple, few things that are tricky but for the most part adapting. So you have big changes there. But I was really intrigued, Bethany, by, okay, so you're a 14 year old girl, you've won, you, you're doing great at surfing. So you're already in a spotlight to a degree at that point. You've had some experience with being in a spotlight. There's pictures of you already signing autographs and you're getting signed by different companies, sponsors and things like that. But then you really got thrown into the spotlight and I was impressed. I mean, all of those types of things are new skill sets. Like, what is the skill set to go on Oprah? What is the skill set to go on? And they're all different links. Right. So sometimes you're on the news and it's a three minute clip and sometimes you're going to sit down with someone for 50 minutes.
- [28:03]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah.
- [28:04]
Jenny Urch
And you're like a kid.
- [28:05]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah.
- [28:06]
Jenny Urch
So can you talk through? Did you just like do it?
- [28:09]
Bethany Hamilton
You know, it's so interesting, that season of my life and I really didn't like being in the spotlight. And this was before social media was a really big thing, but nowadays things will go viral and then it like instantly gets forgotten. Whereas, like when my story went viral, it was like before the social media era and it was just news, but it was worldwide viral. My like, my name became a house household name overnight and arguably is still to this day in a lot of households. And yeah, I think what really went viral is when I went back out and surfed again. Like, first of all, I was already like kind of this surf star. I was like doing really well in surfing. I was becoming kind of like a name known within the surfing community. And definitely on my island, like they would do like news articles because I was winning a lot of contests. So I was kind of known. So when I lost my arm, it was like a tragic like, event in my local community. It's like every, a lot of people out here surf and we are all like, oh, we hope something like that would never happen to us. And so for it to happen to like a 13 year old little rising surf star, it was just really big news. And then I started surfing again less than a month later. And that was just blowing people's mind because most people are like, I wouldn't get back in the ocean with sharks. You know, like, that's too crazy. But this was just little Bethany doing her thing. And I, I wasn't like thinking about any of the outside influence. I just wanted to get back to my normal life. I just wanted to go and surf again. And I had a friend who came and visited me and he had lost his leg to a shark and he actually learned how to surf with one leg. And he's like, hey, I think you can surf with one arm. And so as soon as I got that light bulb of inspiration, I was determined to try. Little did I know how far I would be able to take it. But yeah, like, my story just. I think my parents saw like an opportunity to kind of encourage the world and especially once I started surfing. And while I do kind of like there was some aspects that I really didn't like. I also had a heart for other people. And I think that's because of the way my mom raised me. Like for Christmas we would buy a. Well, for, you know, a community who doesn't have clean water, so. Or we'd buy some goats. For a community who needed more food, they would like, use the goat milk and whatnot. And so I was raised to look at the world from just not my perspective, but from the need and to love my neighbor. And so when I lost my arm, I was like, well, I started getting letters from people all over the world saying, like, if you can get back on your board, I can get back on mine. And like, that really hit me. And it wasn't like I read Every letter. But I just knew that God was doing a work through my life. And even though sometimes I would do an interview and I would give like one word answers because I was just not in in it to win it. But then getting back in the ocean was like my happy place. So I had this good balance of like getting in the spotlight, but then still living my normal life. And then we wrote my book. And you want to know my reason for writing the book? I was like, so I don't have to tell my story anymore. But little did I know you had to go on like a book tour and go tell your story a thousand times to help promote your book. But then later on, once life kept going, I started to see the beauty in it. And I learned how to start public speaking. And my first few events were absolutely horrible. I did terrible. I barely could even say much. But then now fast forward. I love public speaking. I like, I know that there's a purpose in being able to encourage the people in front of me and that I can be a blessing in someone else's life. So I think sometimes when we have something that's challenging us and we don't necessarily enjoy it, if we take our eyes off ourself and put them on who's in front of us and focus on being a blessing to those around us, like that can change us, but more importantly the world. And so I think I learned that at a young age of like, okay, it's not necessarily about me in this moment, even though I feel little embarrassed, scared and shy, but I could be a blessing to someone else who's going through a hard time. And so that kind of rang true in my life then and still does to this day. And yeah, it's just been such an interesting journey. I'm definitely like, I didn't pursue fame. It came to me. And then now it's just kind of interesting. Like social media is kind of a weird environment. But I also want to use that platform to encourage this next generation. I have a heart to encourage the next generation to be healthy, to be overcomers, to look forward to motherhood, to celebrate life and the goodness that God has for us. And so I try to like take a lot of my heart that I've always had and just keep doing, doing things like that.
- [33:14]
Jenny Urch
So then you wrote a kid's book, so talking about fear and being nervous and that type of thing. And the kids book is called Surfing past Fear. Can you talk about that?
- [33:23]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah. So that was a really fun project. I've written like, I think I have 10 books or more now and that one's my most recent project. And it's been really fun because, you know, my eldest child, I have four, my eldest is 10 and my youngest is two. And so in my mind, Adam helped write that too. He did most of the work, actually, if we're going to be honest, and then we put our name on it. But our heart was to inspire children to overcome their fears and be a tool for parents. When you're reading these positive messages to your children, then when they wipe out and have their challenges in their life, they've already read this story of I can overcome my fears too, and they'll look to, you know, not only the characters in the book, but my story. And yeah, it's just been so cool to see, like, get all these feedback from children all over the world who are braving their challenges just like Bethany. And I think that's just priceless. It's something that you can't, you know, you can't just like make up these things. And so it's been fun. But yeah, surfing past fear. It's like this girl Olivia has a really bad wipeout and she breaks her arm and Moby comes along and reminds her what's possible and then she faces her fears alongside of her friends and mentor and gets back out there and ends up having the best summer ever and faces her fears and, and you know, there's doubters along the way and little self doubt too. And you know, it just has a sweet, sweet, fun, fun addition. My children love it. So I know we did something right.
- [35:00]
Jenny Urch
I love that. And you've got devotionals too. So lots of books, the movie, the documentary, the new podcast. All Things Possible with Bethany Hamilton.
- [35:09]
Bethany Hamilton
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Jenny Urch
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Bethany Hamilton
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- [36:24]
Jenny Urch
One of the things you talk about, and I think this is just a human condition, accidents happen. And in your case, you know, this is a, you're out in the water, you're with other people, and it's not just you out there. And people have all sorts of things that happen in life and really struggle with the. Why me? Why me? Can you give some words of encouragement to someone who's in a situation and really thinking, why me?
- [36:51]
Bethany Hamilton
Right. I know it's, it's, it's rough, like, you know, and crazy big, hard circumstances hit in our lives. I think it's, it's, yeah, like you said, it's human nature to kind of be like, why me? Why'd this happen to us? You know, and I guess I actually didn't dwell on that too much when I lost my arm. And I think that was really key. I focused on being grateful for life. Like, I literally woke up in the hospital and my mom and I had this conversation of like, I'm so grateful to be alive. I could have died, I could have lost my life. Like, it was a long journey from where I lost my arm to the hospital. We're in a very small community, very limited resources. And so it just truly is a miracle that I survived. And I don't know, I think there's something to be said about focusing on the good and focusing on the life that God calls for us and instead of, you know, dwelling on the hardship. But, you know, my family and I, like, we lost, I lost one of my nephews this last year. And sometimes it's hard not to be like, why us? Why'd that have to happen to our favorite little bugger? And, you know, it's hard not to, like, you know, hate that that was our circumstance. But we have to trust that God is working even through the hardest things.
- [38:12]
Jenny Urch
Yeah. I'm so sorry.
- [38:17]
Bethany Hamilton
You know, it's taught me to truly, like, soak up my children and make the most of life. And, you know, I feel like so much of our culture and society is dwelling on like, the most menial things, like, you know, filling up the schedule and making your child a superstar athlete. But like, really, they Just need our eye contact, our connection, our love. They need that quality time. And yet we're filling up all the space and time with all these other things that actually aren't that important when we have these beautiful little beings in our care. And, like, so much richness in life to be experienced. And, yeah, it's just been, you know, you have to trust that God will work through the most awful things. Yeah.
- [39:14]
Jenny Urch
Gosh. And we're not promised tomorrow, so. What beautiful advice for parents.
- [39:20]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah. And I think it's so easy to just, like, forget the preciousness of life, and, you know, we can just get carried away with the endless to do things. But I think it's time to, like, truly slow down and focus on what matters. And I love what you're doing a thousand hours outside, like, everything that you've shared with us on our podcast episode. And just talking with you, I'm like, this woman's doing good work, and she knows, like, what matters in life. And so I think when those hard times come, though, it's like, those are what shape us to look to God more, to focus on what matters in life. And I've definitely, like, I'm coming out of, like, a few extremely hard years. And I shared with you earlier, I'm like, my two youngers, they've been the greatest blessing in the last two years. Like, they're the things that keep me getting up and going and to try and try again and show up the best I can for my children, because everything else felt really off. And so I just know that it's in the painful points of my life that God is working, and he's shaping and molding me into the vessel that he wants me to be. And to go and love my neighbor is the second greatest calling in life. And so whatever that looks like on a daily basis, like, that's what we're called to do, and that's what we're called to live out and to continually, like, slow down our lives and think about, am I doing what God has called me to do, to love my neighbor? Or am I just, you know, carrying on with the American rat race? And so that's just, like, my two cents. Like, I feel like I'm really aligned in a lot of your similar beliefs and. But, yeah, hardship. God says, in this world, you will face trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world. And as a woman of faith, like, that is the verse I think of, you know, every day, if not every week. And it's a reminder that life's not going to be perfect. And for me, it started young. I lost my arm young, but I didn't focus on the arm loss. I just kept going. And I. I continued to live a life of faith and trust in God. And I knew that he would work together something that was so awful and turn into something beautiful. And he certainly has. And so I think there's something to be said about, you know, God is faithful. You know, I'm not even always faithful. Like, God's the one that's faithful. He's faithful to me and to keep showing up even in the midst of the hardest times. And he will work through that. And, you know, some of those hardships, it's hard to see the beauty and good, but it certainly, you know, some of the things that we've been through more recently, it's like, well, what does God call us to love our neighbor? And so our first and foremost neighbors, like my husband and my children and my family. And then beyond that, whatever, you know, we have platforms and we have friends and we have our church community and these. This is where we're meant to be. And so I hope that this is just a reminder to reevaluate life continually. Because sometimes we can get carried away and the things that don't really matter, and then you get hit with a storm and you're like, okay, let's go back to what really matters. And, like, let go of the things that are distractions.
- [42:53]
Jenny Urch
Yeah, Sometimes you're like, gosh, if I could only go back to that time when I felt like this was a big deal or that was a big deal, and those things were really not that big of a deal. It's really deep advice because I think a lot of people, probably most people at some point in their life have a why me?
- [43:08]
Ginny
Moment.
- [43:10]
Bethany Hamilton
I look at my arm loss, I'm like, that was, like, the easy challenge along the way. Like, of course it was super hard. And it definitely changed the trajectory of my life. And some days are just like, I'll get so short with myself or, like, with the challenges of, like, doing things with one arm. But really, it's so minor compared to some of the real hardships of life. And, yeah, I've definitely just been in, like, a growing season, and I feel like I learned too much the last five years. But at the same time, I know that the Lord's working through those. And I'm like, starting to see, like, some of the good things that have come out of some of the challenges that are more personal. And I'm like, okay, Lord, I just gotta, like, I think like, the hardships and the pains are like a reminder to look to God. Like, stop looking at yourself, stop looking at like the TV or the distractions and like, look to God and see what he has for you. Because there's just so much we can place our, you know, our life's purpose around. But like, I think that in this world we need something that's beyond ourselves. And I've found that to be God as a Christian and just like in everything that I've had to face, like, I know that that's my solid rock that I can stand on where everything else might feel loosey, goosey sand falling beneath me and I'm like falling over and in that sort of with when I try to put my trust in, in my sport or my passion or my ability to pull myself up by the bootstraps. But really, like, God is a sure foundation that has a rock that you can stand on. And instead of building your house on sand, you're building your house on the rock that will never break, dissolve, change, or fall apart.
- [45:09]
Jenny Urch
What a great verse for Hawaii, isn't it? About the house on the sand. I mean, true. And in the Bible so much, it's like, you know, you look to God and he tells you to look at the birds of the air, and he tells you to look at the lilies of the field and to look at nature because you see God's provision and protection there. And that obviously certainly extends to us. Can we end with a couple things about Hawaii?
- [45:31]
Bethany Hamilton
For sure.
- [45:33]
Jenny Urch
So we came for our 20th anniversary, we brought our five kids and we were so up in the air about it. Bethany. Because it's a lot of money to get seven people from Michigan to Hawaii. And we did three islands and the island hopping actually is not that expensive, right? But we did three islands and I mean, we are so glad, glad, glad we came and we just had everyone still talking about it. Just, I mean, a once in a lifetime, unbelievably memorable experience. So I just think if you can get there, I mean, it's like nature's paradise in abundance. Just absolutely beautiful. Can you tell us about sunrise shells?
- [46:10]
Bethany Hamilton
Oh, oh, this is a taboo topic.
- [46:14]
Jenny Urch
Oh, okay, okay. Do I want to try?
- [46:16]
Bethany Hamilton
No, no, I'm totally just joking. But like, it's like a local's gold. So out here, if you find a sunrise, you're like finding gold. And a lot of people who live in Hawaii may never find one because they're pretty rare and hard. And it's like surfing you almost have to weather forecast. Like you don't know when they're gonna wash up on the beach. And there's not very many of them. So if you see a woman from Hawaii wearing a jewelry with a certain like beautiful sunrise looking shell, that's a sunrise. And I'm usually almost always wearing one like, that's like my jewelry of choice, so to say. But shell finding, so fun out here. Like, that's one of my favorite hobbies to go. But what I like to do is I put my mask and fins on and I'll go dive for shells in the water. And it's like you're holding your breath, you're getting washed by the waves and it's just so fun.
- [47:09]
Jenny Urch
What is it special about the sunrise shell?
- [47:13]
Bethany Hamilton
They're just so pretty and like, you might find a knockoff of a sunrise shell, but you can usually like break it in your fingertips. Whereas the sunrise sturdy and solid. And then also the fact that they're rare is like they're hard to find. So that makes them kind of more of the novelty, so to say. But they are like a clam. So what would be the most rare thing ever is if they're still attached to their other side. And then the other thing is they're not all over the world. Like, I'm pretty sure they're only in Hawaii. So I've picked shells in other locations. Like surfing takes you to really rad spots. Like, I've been to South America and Indonesia and Europe and I pick shells in different areas. And Hawaii just has its own unique shells and centers is one of them.
- [47:59]
Jenny Urch
Wow. We have in Michigan these things called upper lights. They're these rocks that look like a regular rock up along the shores of Lake Superior. So there's the Great Lakes and they're only in Michigan as well. They glow. If you put a black light on it, they glow purple and orange. Otherwise they just look like a boring old rock. And some guy found them in the middle of the night and same thing. There's not that many. And people go up at late at night and they're going up and down the beach and trying to find. So what a cool thing. All right, tell us about your papaya smoothies.
- [48:25]
Bethany Hamilton
Ooh. So papaya is probably one of my favorite fruits. And it's tough because you can't really ship papaya. Like, if you've bought one from like over in the mainland, it's not going to taste like it would out here. And so, yeah, they're delicious. But one of my all time favorite smoothies is papaya, frozen banana, some coconut milk, maybe a little coconut water, a little pinch of turmeric and peanut butter. And it's just this, like, creamy papaya, like, deliciousness. And that's one of my, like, ever since I was little, I've made those smoothies, like, speaking of passing on traditions, also one of my favorite snacks is papaya with cottage cheese. And that's what my dad would always make for me growing up. So now, like, anytime I'm pregnant especially, I'm always like, where's my papaya and cottage cheese? This is what I need.
- [49:20]
Jenny Urch
Oh, it is unbelievable. Because in Michigan, I mean, that it' so gross. Like, you're like, papaya's disgusting. I hardly ever had it.
- [49:28]
Bethany Hamilton
All right. Yeah. I would never buy one in the mainland.
- [49:32]
Jenny Urch
When we were there, we stopped at this place and it was. What you got to eat was this big fruit platter. And everyone was like, this is incredible. We've been missing out our whole life.
- [49:41]
Bethany Hamilton
I know. But then, like, we out here, we never get, like, fresh peaches. So when I go to the mainland, I'm like, oh, I want to find a fresh peach. And, like, hopefully, like, we're there during a peach season. But I feel like I've only had, like, you know, a rare moment with a good, delicious, fresh peach. But if you buy them out here, you're like, oh, well, isn't that the point?
- [50:01]
Jenny Urch
It's like, our world is incredible. God made it incredible. Just different places, different cool things. Bethany, this has been such an honor. I'm going to ask you a question. It's probably going to be the stupidest question you've ever been asked, but it's how we always end our show. You're going to be like, what the heck? We always end our show with this question. What's a favorite moment from your childhood that was outside?
- [50:22]
Bethany Hamilton
Ooh, no, this is a wonderful question. So my favorite childhood moments outside were out here in Hawaii. There's an area of the coastline that you cannot get to unless you're hiking, swimming, or boating. And you can't, like, drive to it. And so every summer, my dad would take us camping along the coastline and we would sleep on the beach under the stars. Like, eat hot dogs on the fire, pick shells, go swim and snorkel. And, like, I remember seeing a shark out there while I was snorkeling and turtles. And it was just like, the best childhood memories. So I'm trying to keep that tradition up with my own children and. But, oh, at one Point. Yeah. Actually I shouldn't say that because I don't know. Anyway, it was just the best memories and. Oh, I'll share this crazy time though. One time. So my dad would take us. Sometimes my mom would come, sometimes she wouldn't. But my dad was a sure thing. He would take us down to go camping on this coastline and one year he decided to take a river kayak and he forgot to put the lid thing on top. So we kept getting splashed by waves and like the kayak was like sinking and my dad's like swimming me and there was stops along the way so you could stop and like empty out the water on the beach. But at one point a boat had to rescue us and like dump all the water out and then we kept going. And anyway, it was a rough paddle because it was a 16 mile coastline too. So it's not like your average little simple kayak ride. It was like an intense swan. And I remember at the end my dad swam me, my little 8 year old self and I'm like paddling the kayak while he's swimming it and we're like halfway underwater and he like barely made it to the beach. So that one very is ingrained in my head.
- [52:21]
Jenny Urch
Oh my goodness. So many adventures. What a family. Bethany, this has been such an honor. I actually think that this church we attended when we first got married, we weren't there, but I'm pretty sure you came and spoke at it. Have you. You've been to Michigan?
- [52:35]
Bethany Hamilton
Yeah, I have done a few speaking events in Michigan.
- [52:38]
Jenny Urch
Yeah, I'm like 99. Sure. But it would have been a long time ago when we missed it. We weren't there that weekend, so. So anyway, just what an incredible, inspiring work that you're doing in the world. People got to check out brand new podcast All Things Possible with Bethany Hamilton. You also have a family community so people can build relationships and they can surf together. Where can people find that?
- [53:01]
Bethany Hamilton
That will be on our website as well or we'll be sharing it on the podcast. So yeah, thanks so much for having me. That was a blast. And blessings to everyone listening. I know hardships are a part of life and being able to find our resilience through them and look to God to carry us through the tough seasons and to know that there's hope on the other side and that there's still so much blessing and joy to be had.
- [53:26]
Ginny
That's right.
- [53:27]
Jenny Urch
That's right. Bethany, thank you so much for being here.
- [53:30]
Ginny
Mom and dad, the school supplies you buy me this year will mostly end up in my mouth. Maybe shop low prices for school at Amazon so I don't eat up all your money, just something to chew on. Amazon. Spend less, smile more.