Professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton is known for her immense courage — and for her pro-life beliefs.
Fifteen years ago, Soul Surfer premiered in theaters, defining a generation and popularizing the story of Bethany Hamilton’s recovery and return to surfing after losing her left arm in a shark attack. Since then, Hamilton has become a prolific author and motivational speaker, using her story to support those who suffer from limb loss as well as anyone who needs courage to overcome the obstacles in their lives.
A devout believer and outspoken defender of the faith and of the unborn, Hamilton was the keynote speaker at the 52nd Annual March for Life in 2025. In honor of the fifteenth anniversary of Soul Surfer, here are five takeaways from pro-life ally Bethany Hamilton’s speech:
1. Despite being a devout Christian, she struggled at the news of her first pregnancy:
“I didn’t think I could do it. I don’t know where that thought came from,” said Hamilton. “I came from a great family, a Christian household. I was married to a wonderful man, and all of a sudden, I was rejecting this God-given gift of beauty that was only a blessing.”
Like many women today, Hamilton felt the narratives of society pressuring her against motherhood. At the height of her career, having a baby seemed to threaten her success in surfing. She also had to overcome certain fears about motherhood with one arm and navigating how she would pick up her baby or change his diaper.
How many times have we heard or experienced similar pressures? Voices that say abortion is not only acceptable but responsible, because “some” mothers are too poor, too old, too addicted, too unstable or too uneducated to be a “good” mom. The presumption is that any woman unexpectedly pregnant in difficult circumstances is a burden, that her baby is a burden and she should avail herself of her “options”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
2. Now having four kids between the ages of ten and two, motherhood is one of the things Bethany loves most in life. She found that God helped her overcome all the uncertainties and fears she originally had.
Contrary to the lies she was told about motherhood from society, Hamilton continued to have a successful surfing career after having her baby. All four of her children have traveled with her to attend surf competitions and appearances around the world. She makes it a priority to welcome and include them in her professional life. While motherhood isn’t without its challenges, she embraces those challenges alongside the beauty she witnesses in her children.
“I look forward to every single day serving my beautiful children and sharing life with them,” said Hamilton. “Children are true wealth; they are truly the greatest blessing that God has to offer us alongside of His grace.”
3. No one is immune to the immense pressures and false narratives abortion advocates push in society.
Speaking of the pressures she felt after she found herself pregnant earlier in her life than she had planned, Hamilton said: “The society and culture are so strong, filled with so many lies and we’re all hearing it. I believe that even though everyone here is pro-life, some of you may even struggle with this at some point. None of us are above that. These people aren’t inherently evil. They’re just being fed lies. And the more they hear these lies, the more they believe them.”
Hamilton then spoke on the role of the pro-life movement to combat fear and lies with hope. This hope comes through real support given by community members and service providers, like those in Her PLAN’s Directory, who walk with abortion-vulnerable moms. This hope comes through a workable plan that gives her actionable steps that help her become the mom she wants to be. When the pro-life movement responds to fear with hope, the counter-cultural respect for the lives of both mom and baby creates generational change.
4. Hope is how she regained her strength and drive after losing her arm at 13 in a shark attack. Hope is also how we can respond to abortion-vulnerable moms facing immense challenges.
As a sought-after speaker, Hamilton shared her message of hope and courage with the world: “When I lost my arm, someone came alongside me and gave me hope. They reminded me of God’s love and that maybe there was more to my life,” said Hamilton. “These women need hope. They need encouragement. They need light in their lives. We as a society need to combat the lies that are being fed to them each and every day.”
The looming danger of abortion drugs intensifies this need for hope and real support. Abortion drugs were responsible for 63% of the 1.1 million abortions in 2024. These drugs sit waiting for the abortion-vulnerable mothers in her boyfriend’s sock drawer or in her neighbor’s medicine cabinet. She may choose life one day but waver in her conviction the next day when the bills pile up or her car breaks down, and she can no longer get to work to provide for the children she already has. When the nature of her situation feels more impossible, we can be there to provide hope instead of fear and help her to become the mom she wants to be.
5. “I don’t need easy. I just need possible.”
This iconic mantra of Bethany Hamilton has been immortalized by Soul Surfer and has been applied by the surfer to any challenge that feels overwhelming.
Ending her March for Life keynote with her signature phrase, Hamilton said: “As we march for life, the greatest gift of all, let us send a message of hope and love to the moms, the mothers to be, the fathers, that they too can say to themselves, I don’t need easy, I just need possible.”
For abortion-vulnerable mothers, caring for a baby feels impossible. That’s where Her Community steps up, to help her build a plan — not of judgement, but of support. Using the Her PLAN directory of resources, community members can help mothers in need to find the right resources to address each of their needs and create a plan with real solutions. With a community of support beside her, being the mom she wants to be is no longer a far-fetched reality: it’s possible.
