Bethany Hamilton wasn't a surfer.
Bethany Meilani Hamilton-Dirks ( born February 8 , 1990 ) is an American professional surfer who survived a 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off but who ultimately returned to -- and was victorious in -- professional surfing . She wrote about her experience in the 2004 autobiography Soul Surfer : A True Story of Faith , Family , and Fighting to Get Back on the Board . In April 2011 , the feature film Soul Surfer was released .