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that was then,
this is now . . .
“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”
—OLYMPIC RUNNER ERIC LIDDELL
Has it really been five years since I first wrote Soul Surfer? Crazy! All of that excitement surrounding my book, all those interviews and appearances and hearing about it climbing up the bestseller list . . . that feels like so long ago. So much has happened since, it’s all kind of a big blur. When people ask me, “Bethany, what have you done since then?” I usually shrug and reply, “I don’t even know where to begin!” My dog Ginger passed away and I got a new puppy shar-pei, Hana. My older brother, Noah, got married. I went skydiving—twice! My family started the Friends of Bethany Foundation to help shark attack survivors and amputees. There have been book signings, appearances, and travels around the world for surf trips, competitions, and mission trips: overall just sharing my story, hopefully inspiring others to live their lives to the fullest.
And of course, I’ve been surfing. For me, it’s like breathing: something that’s so a part of me, I can’t imagine living without it. My hand and feet are constantly wrinkled and waterlogged, I am in the water so much! I’ve definitely grown and excelled a lot in my surfing, and that’s given me an even stronger love and passion for the sport. From barrel riding to big wave surfing, I’ve just fallen in love with the art of riding waves. Surfing competitions have taken me from one corner of the globe to the other, and I thrill at every victory and agonize over every defeat. I try not to dwell on the losses too long, though! I am very competitive. And I think that’s a good thing. I think knowing what you want and going for it is something everyone should strive to do.
I’m the same person I always was, but I also feel like I’ve grown so much, too. It’s like part of me is still the same surf grom who craves the waves while the other part of me is thinking about life and the future. One thing for sure hasn’t changed: I am still always following my dream and following the path that God sets before me. I may have no clue where I’m going, but He sure does! A lot of teens feel this way, I know. You graduate high school and you’re like, “What now?” I can relate. It’s like all of a sudden, you’re face-to-face with your future and its one giant question mark. What will I do? Who will I be?
I think part of growing up is finding your faith. It’s faith in God, faith in yourself, faith that everyone has a gift, a talent, and a purpose. God wants you to pursue your gift to the fullest of your ability. That’s doing His work. And if you’re not quite sure what that gift is, then have faith it will come to you when you’re ready to accept it. I am always kind of shell-shocked when something incredible or new comes my way. Sometimes I’m scared, because it’s something I have never done or tried before and I’m not sure I’ll be a success. Well, it’s like the first time you get on a surfboard. Of course you’re gonna fall off, then fall off again, and again and again . . . till you get your footing and your balance. The more you try, the more you refuse to give up, the better you get at riding the waves.
So in the course of these past five years, a lot of amazing opportunities have been placed before me. The most incredible is the making of Soul Surfer into a major motion picture. Okay, reality check here: me as a movie? My friends are having a good laugh at that one. I am not the kind of person who wants to be a movie star or even famous. I am just a fairly normal young adult—despite what people have in their minds about me.
Once I got over the initial shock of my life playing on giant screens around the world, I thought, “Well, why not? If this is what God has in mind, if this will take my message, His message, and bring it to an even larger audience, then why not?” So Soul Surfer is now a movie starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Lorraine Nicholson, and Carrie Underwood, in theaters April 15, 2011. Seriously, it has been an amazing experience making this film, from the first meetings with the director to casting, filming the stunts, and seeing it all edited together.
I’ve kept a movie journal—just for you!—so I could share all the special (and crazy!) moments along the way. When I look back now, I can’t believe it’s all finished, and I’m going to get to see the final product. It was a journey for sure, for everyone involved. But I think we’ve all grown for having gone through it together. At least I know I have!
my top 5 favorite moments over the past five years
1. surfing ’round the world (Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Portugal, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Tahiti)
Not many girls my age can say they’ve been all over the world—I’m so blessed. My surfing competitions take me to practically every corner of the globe. When there’s downtime during the competition waiting period, I try to venture out and explore the area. Like when I went to Europe in 2010, I got to go to Paris, France, with a few friends and just enjoy some art and history in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! I like to try the local healthy (or sometimes not that healthy) food, and occasionally get to hang out with a local family or friends and see what their lifestyle is like.
Here’s how it goes when I hit a new locale for a competition: Sometimes I’ll have to travel as much as 36 hours to get to the destination. First I have to adjust to the time zone and get my bearings of the area. After settling in, I head for the competition zone and try to surf there no matter what the conditions (which are usually not the best). I need time to adjust to the water temperature, the difference in the waves, and the tide changes (some places have really extreme tides). Then I just rest and try to get my mind set and focused for competition. Once the contest starts, it’s all about getting two good wave scores in twenty to thirty minutes. You want to get good or excellent scores, and only your best two count. Though it sounds easy, this can often be really challenging. This is why I train every day—because I want to become the best surfer I can be. And hopefully that will be reflected in my competition results.
In surfing, unlike other sports, there are a lot of different factors. Sometimes the wave conditions factor higher than your surf competitors. Sometimes your competition results don’t reflect your talent as a surfer, but sometimes they do. Right now I am ranked in the top 25 in the world along with my friends Alana Blanchard and Carissa Moore. But I know that I have the ability to excel on any day. My highlight was finishing number two by half a point in the World Junior Pro in Australia in January 2009.
2. getting straight, strong, and healthy
In 2010, I started correcting my posture (spinal alignment) through Dillberg Integrated Healthcare. (Hey, I’m sitting up straight now as I write!) I believe posture has a huge effect on your health. I have really enjoyed learning about it and reading up on this subject. I never would have thought that misalignment could cause everything from bad digestion to headaches. But it does!
For me, it’s kind of a different situation because I have one arm. But I feel that it’s important for everyone (whether you have four limbs or no limbs) to make posture a priority. I’m working on correcting my posture through several different exercises that were designed specifically for me. Also with Dillberg Integrated Healthcare, I’ve been working on building my strength to better my surfing and overall fitness. They’ve put together a customized program that I can take on the road when I travel!
In recent years, I’ve also realized that diet plays a huge role in your body’s health and performance. I began to notice that when I eat well, I have great energy, and when I don’t, I just don’t feel as energetic. My diet now consists of mostly organic foods, lots of vegetables, fresh fish, sprouted beans, sprouts, fruit, nuts and seeds, and a little dark chocolate here and there!
Even if I weren’t a pro surfer, I would still eat this way. It’s one of the aspects of health that we can somewhat control. We can’t fully control our surroundings and the toxins and chemicals that exist in the places we go, but at least we can do our part to contribute to good health by what we put in our bodies. It’s been
really amazing to learn about this and then actually see its affect on my life!
3. the children of Thailand
In 2005, It was really exciting for me when World Vision, a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice, asked me to go to Thailand. My friend, youth pastor Sarah Hill, encouraged me to go. Thailand had recently been hit by a tsunami, and though it was almost a year later, the people were still in great need and still trying to recover their lives.
When I was there, it was an incredibly powerful experience—truly faith in action. The area had been devastated by the tsunami that took homes and families. People—particularly children—were terrified to get back into the water. I know this feeling; I was scared the first time I got back in the waves after I lost my arm. But I was able to put my faith in God and allow Him to guide me. This is how I helped a little boy get back into the water and a group of other kids, too. We did surf lessons and just had fun together playing in the ocean. I think it encouraged the parents, too, watching the kids surf and have fun in the ocean. Once they could heal, their future as fishermen was preserved. I visited a few people’s homes and an orphanage, and became friends with a young girl, Ketsara, who had lost her mom and brother in the tsunami. She, like me, realized that oftentimes good things come out of our bad experiences. Another thing that was really cool was that World Vision was helping the people build their traditional Thai fishing boats so they could get back out there and provide for their families.
4. Make a Wish Foundation
Two young girls, Lauren and Katherine, wanted me to teach them surfing. They both had chronic illnesses. Lauren had chronic adhesive arachnoiditis, and Katie had cystic fibrosis. They had both requested as their “wish” to meet me. So the Make a Wish Foundation flew them and their families out to Hawaii so we could spend some time together. I was so honored to meet such inspiring souls. I can’t even describe how amazing it made me feel to put a smile on their faces. We did a surf lesson with the girls at Hanalei Bay, near the pier, where I learned to surf when I was little. It’s so gnarly to have such a bad illness at such a young age—it breaks my heart. The girls are just normal, fun-loving kids and it feels so wrong that they have to deal with all that. In our time together, we just mainly focused on having fun and enjoying life, and that’s what I encouraged them to do! Every day is a blessing.
5. Mexico
Almost every year my church youth group goes on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. We meet up with Spectrum Ministries in San Diego, then head across the border. Our goals as a group are to go in and help the orphanages with whatever they need help with. It could be anything from feeding, bathing, and playing with kids to building or painting. Just anything! Whatever they ask us to do. Most important, our priority is to just love the kids and be a light, sharing Jesus’s love.
One day of the trip, we go into town and set up showers and stations where kids can get clean, get their hair brushed, and get new clothes and shoes. My task on one of the bathhouse days was washing the kids’ feet. Washing their feet was really cool because that’s what Jesus did for the disciples. It symbolizes being cleansed of your sins. It was hard to know whether any of them knew Jesus ’cause I don’t speak Spanish, and they don’t speak English. But it was really cool to do something so simple for them since they have so little. The kids were adorable and they just liked having attention from all of us older kids!
We also go to the dump—where families actually live—and pass out food. It’s really sad to see the living conditions for the people there. It was just crazy handing food to them and seeing how grateful they were. They live their lives scrounging for scraps, or trying to find stuff in the junkyard that they can sell to buy some food. It was humbling to see how grateful and excited they were. The whole experience just encourages me to know how blessed I am not having to worry about what and when I’m going to eat next. And just to be thankful for everything I have! Overall, it’s just really fun hanging out with the little kids and stepping into a whole different world.
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my movie journal
The experience of making a movie of Soul Surfer was one I will never forget. I wanted to share it with all of you to give you a peek into what it’s like behind the scenes on a set. There were lots of things I never expected, and a lot of “movie magic” that just blew me away. I like to think of this process as a journey in which I made lots of incredible new friends and family (like AnnaSophia Robb and director Sean McNamara), and once again I learned to put my faith in God and trust He would lead me on the right path. I think we all felt His presence while making this film. . . .
December 1, 2009
So I just found out that Sony Pictures is going to distribute Soul Surfer. We have been talking to producers and Hollywood executives for a long, loooong time—really ever since we released the original book and it got so much great attention. That was about five years ago! We’ve been through several scripts, several production companies, and lots of setbacks. But I’ll admit: I never thought it would really happen. I was kind of like, “Yeah, sure . . .” But then the wheels started to turn. We got a director. Then a financier. Then a script that everyone liked. And now we have a signed and sealed distribution deal with one of the biggest movie companies in Hollywood. Wow. That’s pretty much all I can say at this moment. I’m a little in shock, because the thought of me and my family’s life up on a huge movie screen . . . well, it’s weird. And quite nerve-racking. But at the same time, I am beyond stoked, because I know that this is going to take my message to a whole new level. If I can reach out to millions of moviegoers and help them find faith and God . . . well, it’s a huge gift for me. What I really want is to create an impactful movie that changes lives. And as always, God steps in and shows me the way. He always has plans for me. I just have to ride the wave, wherever He takes me . . . and trust that my family won’t come off looking cheesy on the big screen!
December 10, 2009
I just got an e-mail saying that AnnaSophia Robb has been cast to play me in the movie. I’m really happy, and really stoked. She’s a great actress! My mom and I had actually seen her in Bridge to Terabithia, and we suggested she play me. She also starred in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Samantha: An American Girl Movie, Return to Witch Mountain, Because of Winn Dixie, and others. She says on her website that she’s really committed to a lot of charity organizations and believes in changing the world for the better. My kind of girl! I think she’ll totally get me, and she’ll really be able to understand how and why I do what I do. One thing I really like about AnnaSophia is her eyes. She really just brings the passion, drama, and emotions that she needs to show in a scene through her eyes. It’s beautiful, and it really shows how important and serious a role is to her. They say the eyes reflect the soul. I can’t believe she’s only 16; she’s so mature and accomplished for that age! I’m so blessed to have her starring as me. The only thing that kind of makes me laugh—she’s really small! I’m like 5’11”, and she’s maybe 5’2”? Well, hopefully movie magic will make her look more my size! And of course, I’m also a little concerned because they tell me she’s never been on a surfboard before. But I plan on fixing that real soon!
December 14, 2009
Big night tonight! We went out to dinner at a restaurant in Hanalei with my family, my manager [at the time], Roy, and the VPs from Sony Pictures’ Affirm Films, Rich Peluso and Steve Okin. Well, actually, first I was surfing, and I came in from the waves and saw them on the beach, watching me. That’s where we initially met, which seems just right, since the waves are my home and where much of the movie is gonna take place. My first thoughts: They are really nice guys. Not all Hollywood slick as I imagined they might be! I am really blessed to have them on board. In a lot of ways they understand me ’cause they believe in Jesus as well. It’s a relief to know that we share that as a team. They’re from Tennessee, and they both have a lo
t of kids, so they’re used to dealing with lots of energy and chaos! We told them that this movie’s gotta be done right, ’cause we’re gonna live with it for the rest of our lives. And hello? This is my life we’re showing to everybody who sees the movie. It has to be real; it has to look like and sound like me and my family and friends. I am all about the truth; you will never hear me embellish something or lie, because I know that God wants me to tell my truth and His truth. So yeah, I’m sure it’s really tempting to get all special FX and dramatic with stuff—it’s a movie, and that’s what movies do. There’s, like, music playing in the background while I surf (that never happens in real life, trust me!). But I also don’t want them to lose sight of what’s really important to me—the reason we’re doing this. Rich and Steve nodded; they understand how it’s way more to me than a movie. But dinner was great, and my family all got to meet them. It was pretty low-key, we just got to chat and get to know each other. I’m feeling real good about how things are going so far!
December 15, 2009
Tonight we had a BBQ with a bunch of the movie crew. I couldn’t even begin to name all the people who were there! There were probably about ten guys, all here for some part of the movie. It feels like all the pieces of this puzzle are beginning to come together! I got to chat with the main producers, and also the director, Sean McNamara, and he showed me some really cool stuff on his computer. He showed us how he’ll make AnnaSophia look like she has one arm. It’s really cool how they do it—kind of like the effect in Forrest Gump when the actor has to play a soldier who has lost his legs. She wears a green sleeve on her left arm (kind of like a green screen), and above it she wears a prosthetic that looks like my stump. With some special digital effects, the arm “disappears” and the stump remains. It looks exactly like what my arm looks like. I can’t wait to see how it looks in action in the movie.
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board Page 10