In 2003, Bethany Hamilton,13, lost her left arm to a shark attack while surfing off Kauai, Hawaii. A new film ,Soul Surfer, is based on the story of how she overcame that to achieve her dream of becoming a professional athlete. Growing up on the "garden isle" of Kauai, Hamilton spent every minute she could riding the waves. She was on the verge of   becoming a top competitor in professional surfing. But while she was practicing at an isolated cove  ,a four-meter-long tiger shark ripped off her left arm. Though her life was saved, nobody could imagine she would ever get back on a surfboard again. In a true test of her faith and by _ will power, Bethany did get back up on a surfboard only a month after the attack. Six months later, she was competing again. Bethany Hamilton won her first amateur surfing championship just two years after she lost her arm. She also established the "Friends of Bethany," a non---profit foundation dedicated to supporting sharks attack victims. It's a story told in her autobiography, which is the basis for the film that stars teenager Anna Sophia Robb. "I knew Bethany's story, of course, but I thought 'What an incredible role' ,"explains Robb. "I was so fascinated by all of the challenges. What would it be like to have your arm taken and what would go through your head and how would your faith be challenged?" The filmmakers used special effects to digitally remove Robb' s arm .However ,no tricks were necessary for the surfing scenes because Hamilton herself did the breathtaking wave riding. Now 21, Hamilton says she hopes audiences find inspiration in the description of the sport she loves. "Not a lot of people know that much about surfing, so I hope they're educated about it," Hamilton says. "And most of all if people are going through a hard time, they could be encouraged and find inspiration to push through those hard times and see that, in my case ,so much good has come out of it." How does Hamilton hope people will be affected by her story?
she hopes more people will take up surfing. she hopes people will be inspired and encouraged She hopes more people will keep off the sharks. She hopes people will donate something to her charity.