One of our School Values is courage, but what is courage? Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one or as bravery but I believe courage isn’t about being fearless, it’s about acting despite your fears and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth.
One person who exemplifies this is Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer with an extraordinary story. Bethany grew up loving the ocean, and by the time she was 13, she was already a rising star in competitive surfing. But in 2003, her life changed forever. While surfing near her home in Hawaii, she was attacked by a shark and lost her left arm.
For most people, such an event would have been the end of their surfing dreams. But for Bethany, it was the beginning of a new chapter. Instead of giving in to fear or despair, she showed incredible courage. Just one month after the attack, she returned to the water. Learning to surf again with only one arm was a monumental challenge, it required not only physical strength but also an unshakable determination to persevere.
Bethany’s courage did not stop there. She went on to become a professional surfer, competing at the highest levels and inspiring millions around the world. Her story shows us that courage isn’t about avoiding challenges; it’s about choosing to confront them, even when the odds seem stacked against us.
But courage doesn’t have to involve life-changing events like Bethany’s. For us, it might mean speaking up when something feels wrong, trying something new, or pushing through when a subject or task feels impossibly hard. It’s about believing in your ability to grow through difficulties and finding strength in yourself when times are tough.
Courage can be seen in many aspects of life, whether in the classroom, on the sports pitch, or in the pursuit of challenging goals. It is demonstrated through perseverance in the face of uncertainty and the strength to overcome adversity. Through acts of courage, challenges become opportunities for growth and resilience. Bethany Hamilton’s story reminds us that courage, when embraced, has the power to inspire and transform and that courage isn’t about never falling – it’s about choosing to rise every time we do fall.
Navin Sivayoganathan
Senior Prefect