Hamilton was devastated at first by the prospect of losing her ability to surf. But Mike Coots, a surfer who lost his leg in a shark attack, encouraged her to continue surfing, even with one arm.

In 1998, an 18-year-old Mike Coots lost his right leg in a tiger shark attack while bodyboarding off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Instead of letting his missing leg hold him back ...