Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Bethany Hamilton, 13, finished fifth in her age group at a national surfing contest this week, less than three months after a shark bit off her left arm. The director of the competition offered to match up the onetime champion against weaker surfers in early rounds to help her reach the finals, but she refused. “She wanted to be treated like anybody else,” organizer Bobbi Lee said. Bethany was attacked by a 15-foot tiger shark on Oct. 31. She nearly bled to death, but was surfing again within a month. Bethany said she was pleased with her return to competitive surfing, although she had trouble pushing herself onto her feet with just one hand. “It was definitely a good start,” she said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Five of the best luxury watches for womenThe Week Recommends From iconic heritage designs to bold contemporary reinventions, these elegant timepieces stole the show at Watches and Wonders 2025
-
Bad news, alpha males. You likely don't actually exist.Under the radar Most primate communities are egalitarian
-
Sudoku hard: July 14, 2025The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
