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Shark-attack survivor Bethany Hamilton wins pro surf contest at Pipeline

When Bethany Hamilton was 13 years old, she lost her left arm in a shark attack.

The Kauai surfer returned to the water one month later, still determined to become a pro surfer.

Hamilton told her story at numerous speaking engagement around the world. She got involved with a variety charities and launched a foundation, Friends of Bethany, that supports shark-attack survivors and amputees. And she kept surfing.

Her 2004 biography, titled Soul Surfer, was adapted into a movie.

Last year, she married Christian youth minister Adam Dirks.

And now, at the age of 24, Hamilton is making headlines for winning a notable pro surf competition, her first win in nearly a decade.

Last Thursday, Hamilton earned top spot at an event at the Banzai Pipeline, a surf reef off the North Shore of Oahu, one of the world's most renowned surfing spots.

"I usually lose so this was great," Hamilton said, according to the TransWorld Surf website. "In my first heat I got a little barrel and I wasn't even expecting it but I always keep my eye out because you never know out here and I kind of tucked in and I made it out and that was a pleasant surprise."

Grind TV reported that Hamilton was given no special assistance or privileges at the competition and still clearly defeated her competitors in the 4- to 5-foot waves at the 2014 Surf-n-Sea Pipeline Women's Pro.

"So stoked I won the #WomensPipePro today! It feels good to surf & compete well; & take the win!" Hamilton wrote on Facebook.

Hamilton told Outside magazine that she hopes her win will help people see her as a good surfer, not just a surfer with a disability.

"A lot of people just don't know I can surf," she said.

She took home $2,000 for the win and was given the Banzai Sushi award for the best tube ride.

Hamilton shared how she's changed her surfing style since losing her arm with Outside magazine. Watch the video here.