Getting back on the surfboard after the [shark] attack was the hardest thing and I did it! After that, the hardest thing was my first competition.

We all need that extra friend outside of our immediate family to talk about that extra stuff you wouldn't normally talk to your parents about.

In the end, my love for surfing helped me overcome my fear of sharks.

Surfing for me is more than my lifestyle; it's my passion, my love and it's a part of me.

I wouldn't change what happened to me because then I wouldn't have this chance, in front of all of you, to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms.

I don't know how long I'll be competing but I'll always be surfing. I'll be surfing until I'm old.

I don't really want people looking to me for inspiration. I just want to be a sign along the way that points toward Heaven.