Pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton thanks God for newborn baby boy
Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton took to social media on Tuesday to announce the birth of her second child and thanked God for the new addition to her family.
The 28-year-old American athlete, who lost an arm during a shark attack 14 years ago, shared a photo of her family on Instagram which served as an announcement for the birth of her new son Wesley Philip Dirks.
"We are overjoyed to welcome our son Wesley Phillip Dirks into the world!" she wrote. "It's been a beautiful time getting life started with the four of us! We are thankful to God for our two lil guys!!!" she added.
The athlete continued to surf throughout her pregnancy and previously shared that being a parent with one arm has not held her back.
Hamilton first announced her pregnancy in October in a family video shared on Instagram. The footage featured her son Tobias kissing Hamilton's burgeoning belly as they joyfully announced the news.
"I want to thank everyone for the warm wishes towards our exciting news!!! The more time I spend as I mother and wife, I realize that it's such a privilege and joy and I cherish my role deeply," she wrote at the time, as reported by Daily Mail.
Hamilton married fellow surfer and Christian youth minister Adam Dirks in 2013 and the couple welcomed their first child in 2015.
The athlete lost her arm at age 13 when she was attacked by a shark in 2003 while surfing off the coast of Kauai. But she did not let the incident keep her from fulfilling her dreams of surfing professionally, and she began competing in pro competitions four years later.
In 2010, Hamilton became the 20th ranked woman among surfers and has won first place in at least eight different surfing competitions in her career.
Hamilton's story has become an inspiration to many after she wrote about it in the book "Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board," which was adapted into a film in 2011 starring Dennis Quaid, Carrie Underwood and Anna Sophia Robb as Hamilton.
The popular Christian has also made other television and film appearances, including the feature film "Dolphin Tale 2," in which she portrayed herself, and as a contestant in season 25 of "The Amazing Race." Earlier this year, she also released her own documentary titled "Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable."
The Christian athlete is also preparing for the release of her books "Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up" and "Unstoppable Me" on June 5.