‘Soul Surfer’ Bethany Hamilton — the homeschooled surfer who lost her arm to a shark attack and now has her story out on the big screen — will be in Ireland next week for a gala premiere of the movie.

The event coincides with the European Surfing Championships, and follows a jet-setting week this week, where Bethany will make appearances in both New York and Kauai for free screenings of “Soul Surfer.“  She also just got back from surfing in Mexico.

From her blog:

Mexico was beautiful, the area we were at had many headlands forming several really good point breaks. The water was so warm that when you got in it wasn’t refreshing, but I like that. Anything but cold water!

For me this was kind of a vacation considering most of the travel I’ve done this year was promotion and after a summer of not much surfing due to my arm injury. By the way I’m healing great, I was more than glad to get away and just surf!

I’m now home repacking for my next trip to New York, England, Ireland and the Maldives! It’s gonna be a good trip but a long one…

This is a pretty impressive schedule, considering Bethany injured her remaining arm and required stitches on her sliced tricep and surgery on its nerves this summer!  Also this summer she was on the red carpet, as “Soul Surfer” was nominated for an ESPY Award for best sports movie.  Bethany continues to give glory to God in all things.

I was excited to finally order my copies of both books Soul Surfer, Bethany’s own retelling of her amazing comeback story, and Raising a Soul Surfer, which her mom Cheri Hamilton wrote.  So far I am really enjoying Cheri’s book (I started hers first, being a mom and all)!  I had been very interested in the “back story” and family life of the homeschooling Hamiltons after watching the Soul Surfer movie, and Cheri’s book does not disappoint!  I’m also loving her descriptions of movie-making life and glimpses into her interactions with the big-name actors on the movie.  It may take me two years to finish these books amongst my five children and home, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be blessed along the way by them.  =O)  And I’ll be inspired.