Surfer

I learned to surf before I could walk, and was participating in surfing competitions at age four. When I was thirteen years old, I suffered a shark attack and lost my left arm at the shoulder.
The shark took a chunk out of my surfboard that was about 16 inches across and 8 inches deep, suggesting that the shark was 12-15 feet long. In less than a month I was back in the water, and I returned to competition in just ten weeks, placing fifth in my age group in a National Scholastic Surfing Association meet in Kaiua-Kona, Hawaii.
I won the 2004 ESPY Award from ESPN for Best Comeback Athlete as well as a special Courage Award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards.