Bethany Hamilton, the professional surfer who lost an arm during a shark attack as a child, is welcoming her first baby with her husband, youth minister Adam Dirks.

Bethany Hamilton Is Pregnant

Hamilton and Dirks announced the pregnancy in a YouTube video. “So we have a little surprise for you…baby on board!” Hamilton exclaimed in the announcement video.

Although Hamilton is a number of weeks along in her pregnancy with the couple’s son, she’s not letting it keep her off the waves.

“I’ve been surfing throughout my whole pregnancy,” the surfer said. “I plan to surf as long as I can. Once the belly’s pretty big maybe just mellow it out, and spend more time swimming and just enjoying the ocean and doing other activities.”

Hamilton lost her left arm in a tiger shark attack off the coast of Hawaii in 2003. While Hamilton acknowledges that it won’t be the easiest looking after an infant with one arm, she’s confident that she’ll be able to get creative and make it work.

“Motherhood with one arm, I’ve been kind of thinking about it. I often forget that I have one arm, but when I think about a squirming baby, changing the diaper and just me and this squirmy baby. It could be really challenging,” the athlete admitted, adding, “But, I think how I live my life now I just adjust and adapt to different things…. I’ll just have to find my own way to take care of the baby, and of course I’ll have Adam to help.”

As for Dirks, he’s more than up to the challenge to help out with the baby – particularly when Hamilton is back on the surfing circuit.

“I’m going to be there to support my wife and support my family,” Dirks says. “Whether it’s changing diapers on the beach while Bethany is out there surfing some gnarly ways. I’m all for that. I’m just going to be really stoked to be a dad.”

Hamilton and Dirks wed in August 2013, a little more than a year after they were set up on a blind date.

 

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