Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame some tall odds to become a champion again.
The film features Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid with Carrie Underwood in her film debut, but the key to it all is the ability of the lead actress who could genuinely capture Bethany’s inimitable personality and tenacity, as she makes the journey from a girl whose dreams are nearly shattered to a teen powerhouse and star athlete ready to change the world. The Hollywood performer had to be believable riding the waves, regardless of the extent of assistance from the cinematographer and editor.
The film’s writer/director Sean McNamara says he knew the minute he saw AnnaSophia Robb that she had exactly the right mix, “AnnaSophia is an amazing actress and she brought everything we could have hoped for to this role,” he says.
“She did an incredible amount of research to prepare for the part and even learned to surf in a remarkably short time. She worked closely with Bethany and they made a great team together.”
Robb, whose film credits include: “Race to Witch Mountain:”, “Jumper” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, despite being half a foot shorter than Bethany signed on after reading the script because it is “such an inspiring story”.
Robb dove into the physical training, working out for four hours a day to prepare for the film’s physical challenges, including surf lessons, swimming and weight workouts, as well as stretching, some of it mirroring Bethany’s own rigorous training and diet.
Bethany herself gave Robb surfing lessons in Hawaii, along with her long-time coach, Russell Lewis. “AnnaSophia actually learned pretty quickly,” enthuses Bethany. “I mean, surfing takes years and years to learn, and she only had about a month or so, so she did really well. It was fun for me to watch her improve and to help her overcome her fears.” 
Heading out into the warm, wild waves for which Hawaii is famed, Robb started to develop the kind of passion for the ocean that has always been a part of Bethany’s life, as well as the courage to tackle the big, intimidating surf. “I was so excited to get out in the water and learn,” she recalls. “But then I felt terrified because those little baby waves looked so big to me! I just thought to myself, ‘If Bethany could face her fears after the shark attack, I can face this.’ Now that I’ve gotten past that, I find that there is something really peaceful and beautiful about surfing.”
Robb was grateful to spend personal time with Bethany and her family, gaining first-hand knowledge of how they supported each other even when they were all scared and unsure of what might happen. Most of all, she got a sense of who Bethany is, and how she kept going by keeping her perspective on what was really important to her.
“I just loved hanging out with Bethany because she is such a fun person, and also a constant inspiration,” Robb says. “We really became close and it was so nice to have her around during filming, because I could ask her any question – about her arm, her family, her thoughts on life, anything. No question was off limits with her. She was so receptive, and that was wonderful because I wanted to play her as realistically as I possibly could. It amazed me that she doesn’t mind talking in detail about her arm – but I came to see that’s because it’s no big deal to her at all.”
“I was stoked that AnnaSophia would be the one playing me,” Bethany says. “At first, I wasn’t sure if we would ever find someone who I thought could do it justice, but she did an amazing job. We’re really good friends now and I think we always will be.”
