Soul Surfer

In Chapter 14, Hamilton takes a closer look at how her community has been affected by the shark attack, looking specifically at her friend Alana and Alana’s father, Holt, who were in the water the morning of the accident. Counseling has helped all of them, Hamilton says, and she is forthright about the fact that she sometimes sees herself in the mirror and remembers all over again that she now has only one arm. However, she shakes such thoughts off, saying, “I’m working—we all are—to get over it. To deal with the new challenges. Past is past. On to bigger and better!” (197).

Hamilton recounts some of the opportunities she has had to travel and to represent various brands, and she discusses a humanitarian mission she has been able to work with: the World Vision Foundation, which helps children living in poverty around the world, and for which Hamilton is helping to raise awareness and funds through her surfing. The chapter ends with a list of items that are always in Hamilton’s travel bag.