Surfer Bethany Hamilton Hopes to Show Kids How to 'Work Through' Their Fears in New Book

Brad Schwartzrock

Bethany Hamilton knows what it's like to overcome an obstacle.

It was in 2003 when then-13-year-old Hamilton was attacked by a shark that claimed her left arm while surfing in Hawaii. The incident nearly killed her, and as she recovered in the hospital, Hamilton admits she was afraid that losing her arm meant she could never surf again.

But just weeks later, she was back in the water and on her board.

"I have a pretty fearless approach to life," the 32-year-old tells PEOPLE. "I was always the one surfing bigger waves than maybe my peers or just jumping off the big rock into the ocean. But regardless, I had an incredibly traumatic event with many fears attached to it, and I had to work through those and face them."

While Hamilton had the courage to go back into the ocean soon after her injury, her fears were still with her.

"Overcoming my fears of sharks took years, and while I was willing to go in the ocean, it wasn't like I was fully at peace every time I was going out there," she says. "I would first surf closer to the beach and try to surf when it was really crowded. And I was always focusing on catching waves, which, I guess, was me coping [with the fear], but I also think there was a good way to approach it."

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"I would just start in the shallows and get comfortable there, then take that baby step ladder approach to build up my courage slowly," Hamilton continues. "And after a while, slowly but surely, that fear went away, and I would just go back and surf all the other spots."

Hamilton, now a mother of three, is hoping to instill some of those lessons in young children who may be facing their own fears with her book, Surfing Past Fear.

"I feel like so many children and their parents are living in fear, and this book is designed to help the parents come alongside their child in a really fun way," Hamilton, who also mentees mothers and daughters through her Ohana Experience programs, says.

"Sometimes we forget that their little minds experience things differently than we do, so you try to meet them where they're at and just be a cheerleader and show them the way," she says. "Instead of asking them, 'Why are you scared?' You could say, I believe in you. I'm here for you. Want to do it together? And just come alongside them. It may take time because every child's different."

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The story follows Olivia, an otter, who hurt her arm during a wipeout, and how friends around her encourage her to try the things she is afraid of doing.

Hamilton has three sons — ages 7, 4, and 1 — and she says raising them has taught her more about herself and how to guide her emotions.

"I feel like parenting has taught me more than just about anything in life, and it's brought out a lot of the sides of me that I didn't realize I had, like being patient and just trying to be understanding and empathetic. And I think it's challenged me to want to problem solve."

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These lessons are what she kept in mind while writing the book.

"When I'm feeling impatient, I feel like it leaves them feeling impatient with me as well," Hamilton explains. "So it's this ripple effect. If we can find our calm and work with them to find their calm, I think it's the same with overcoming fears."

"It's about helping them through their fears, coming alongside them, showing them the way, and if they're really, really scared, doing it with them together or taking baby steps," she says.

Surfing Past Fear is available now.