Soul Surfer

From a young age I remember being terrified of the ocean, I’d spend all of my time there with my father, building up my confidence and spending time with him. I recall my fear of being dunked under a wave, or falling of my little nipper board on a wave. My father would carry me out the back, holding on tight around his neck I’d close my eyes and the fear would go. He’d set me off on a wave on a board, laying down on the back to ensure me it was okay if I fall he would be there. I remember one wave I caught, I turned my head, and it was a big wave… well I was only small so, so it was big considering!
My Dad had let go, there was no fear, I closed my eyes for a second as I dropped down the wave, I did it, my confidence grew, ever since then my love for the ocean and feel for surf has been an ongoing thrive, people say the salt water lays within your veins when you spend as much time in the water as I did. I started competing with surf lifesaving, I was the shortest in my age group, having three brothers people would assume I would be competitive and would want to win, and I didn’t. I just wanted to ensure I’d make it back to shore, as a little bit of fear lied within me each carnival. My parents were big on ensuring that winning wasn’t everything, because of this I believe that that has what’s helped me form into the type of person I am today and taking things as they come, accepting life as it is and within the events that occur being either good or bad, they happen for a reason and we need to accept, learn and grow from what has happened and move forward. Not look back, from going with my initial thoughts and beliefs, reading this book has increased how I feel about setting goals and aiming high, as any is possible, as I learnt m...

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... get you to where you wish to be, the only person who can pull you down is yourself, you’re not going to let yourself pull you further from your goals and dreams are you? Showing yourself you can achieve anything is important once you know you can others will soon believe. Aim high, the path you have chosen may take a turn just like Bethany’s unexpected turn of events, it’s just up to you if you continue to climb to reach your goals or watch them disappear from you. I find many relations with this book, as I have goals. These goals involve fear and I have learnt that if I wish to achieve the goals I have set within my sporting life I need to realise obstacles may arise (Hopefully not as dramatic!!) however, the can be overcome with the correct mind set and going with your instincts, if you really want to achieve something you can. All that can stop you is yourself.