By Pete Thomas/GrindTv
Life seems to keep getting better for pro surfer Bethany Hamilton, who in 2003 lost her left arm to a shark while riding waves near her home on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Not only was she able to keep surfing at an elite level, and become the focus of “Soul Surfer,” a feature film showcasing her inspirational story; Hamilton found her “soul mate” in Adam Dirks, a youth minister, and the two were married two years ago–10 years after the shark attack.
On Monday, Hamilton and Dirks delivered another major announcement: “So, we have a little surprise for you,” the surfer says in the accompanying video footage: “Baby on board!”
The couple is expecting a baby boy in early June, and would not would not reveal possible names.
“Adam and I found out 5 months ago we are expecting a child!” Hamilton, who turned 25 on Sunday, wrote on her blog. “I’m happy to share this wonderful time in our lives with you! We are looking forward to becoming parents early this summer. I’ve always looked forward to one day being a mom and now that the time is coming; it is pretty nerve-racking.”
Because of her growing pregnancy–22 weeks and counting–Hamilton postponed production of a new film titled, “Surfs Like a Girl.” That project comes shortly after she and Dirks finished third in the CBS reality show, "The Amazing Race."
But so far she continues to ride waves, and recently visited big-wave spots such as Teahupoo in Tahiti, and Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore.
I plan to surf as long as I can," Hamilton says. "Once the belly is pretty big maybe [I'll] just, like mellow it out and spend more time swimming and just enjoying the ocean and doing other activities.”
Hamilton and Dirks refer to this new chapter as merely another adventure, albeit one with obvious challenges, such as raising a baby with one arm.
Hamilton says she'll simply have to "adapt and adjust," as she has to various other challenges so masterfully for the past 13 years.
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