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Adam Dirks and Bethany Meilani Hamilton are a team of Married Surfers on The Amazing Race 25.

Coming into the race after having previously lost her left arm, Bethany surprised her competitors and viewers alike by completing tasks with one arm that other racers would admit to having difficulty with on both arms. The couple's easy-going, harmonious relationship and their efficiency in physical tasks allowed them to eventually make it to the final three. However, they tended to struggle with both navigating and mental tasks, the latter of which would end up costing them the race. They arrived at the final Roadblock in the lead, only for Bethany to struggle with the task's memory aspect, dropping them to 3rd place.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com[2]

Adam[]

Age: 26
Hometown: Princeville, Hawaii
Connection to your teammate: Husband
Current occupation: Professional husband. Full-time support.
Describe what you do: Switching my life from full-time youth ministry and substitute teacher to married life has been an amazing experience. I love being with my wife as she travels so often and being her rock, support and encourager for life.
3 words to describe you: Hard-working, easy-going and patient.
Favorite hobbies: Surfing, adventure (hiking, exploring, etc.) and spear fishing.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Having awesome friends.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Tom Cruise.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Amelia Earhart.
What scares you most about traveling? Not being able to communicate well with people in foreign countries and getting lost!
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing new cultures and sharing those adventures with my best friend/wifey.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We sometimes have a hard time communicating when we are frustrated with one another. I want us to be more open and talk about these frustrations before they build up into something bigger.
Pet peeve about your teammate: Sometimes she eats with her mouth open.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? New Zealand or Iceland. They are both beautiful and have tons of outdoor adventures like surfing, hiking and extreme sports.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope the experience will test our relationship, draw us closer and strengthen our marriage.

Bethany[]

Age: 24
Hometown: Princeville, Hawaii
Connection to your teammate: Wife
Current occupation: Pro Surfer and Motivational Speaker
Describe what you do: I travel the world surfing unique locations and compete against the best women in the world. I love surfing. I also speak to different groups in the U.S. and internationally, motivating them to live a life of overcoming!
3 words to describe you: Determined, positive and adventurous.
Favorite hobbies: Surfing, tennis, working out, creating healthy meals and hanging with my hubby and dogs.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Surfing with one arm!
What famous person reminds you of yourself? My mom. She loves surfing like me.
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Matthew McConaughey
What scares you most about traveling? Being away from the ocean and long sits on planes.
What excites you most about traveling? I love seeing the unique beauties of other countries, experiencing different cultures and doing it with Adam.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: I'm a girl and I'm more emotional. Plus, I have one arm.
Pet peeve about your teammate: When he doesn't share.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? I've always wanted to go to Madagascar because it seems remote and adventurous. Peru, to surf and Machu Picchu. Also, Israel because it's a bible land.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope Adam and I have a fun time adventuring in different countries and doing challenges. I hope we can have great teamwork and communication. I just want to have a blast!

The Amazing Race 25[]

Race History[]

Adam & Bethany's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → U.S. Virgin Islands No Detour Adam 5 of 11
2 2 U.S. Virgin Islands → United Kingdom About Face / Pancake Race No Roadblock 1 of 10
3 3 United Kingdom Pony Up / Light My Fire No Roadblock 2 of 9
4 4 United Kingdom → Denmark → Sweden → Denmark Parking Space / Wedding Cake Adam 7 of 8
5 5 Denmark → Morocco Twirl Time / Tea Time Bethany 2 of 8
6 6 Morocco Camp / Cream Bethany 2 of 7
7 7 Morocco → Italy Painters / Posers Adam 5 of 6
8 8 Italy → Malta Flag / Shine Bethany 1 of 6ϵ [1]
9 9 Malta → Singapore Used Fast Forward 1 of 5
10 10 Singapore → Philippines Catch / Coach No Roadblock 3 of 4
11 11 Philippines This / That Adam 2 of 4
12 12 Philippines → United States No Detour Adam 3 of 4 [2]
Bethany
Average 2.83
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team finished in last and was initially to be eliminated, but were saved by the Salvage Pass, Resurrection Card, or The Save
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the Fast Forward pass
ϵ The team used the Express Pass somewhere during the leg
The team used the U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn
The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn"
Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist

Notes:
1: Adam & Bethany used their Express Pass to bypass the Flag Detour.
2: The final leg featured two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.

Post-Race[]

  • As of July 2023, Adam & Bethany have four children.[3][4]
    • On June 1, 2015, Bethany gave birth to their first son, Tobias.[5]
    • On March 27, 2018, Bethany gave birth to their second son Wesley Phillip.[6]
    • On February 14, 2021, Bethany gave birth to their third son, Micah Ward.[7]
    • On July 1, 2023, Bethany gave birth to their first daughter, Alaya Dorothy.[8]

Trivia[]

  • On October 31, 2003, Bethany survived a shark attack while lying on a surfboard with her friends in Kauai, Hawaii, in which she lost her left arm after the tiger shark attacking her ate it. Her attack was the subject of the 2011 biopic drama film, Soul Surfer.
  • Bethany is the third amputee to compete on The Amazing Race, following Sarah Reinertsen and Amy Purdy.
    • They would be followed by Redmond Ramos.
    • Bethany is the first arm amputee to compete.

Franchise Records[]

  • Bethany is the first contestant to have an amputated arm.
  • First team to retrieve an Express Pass on the race course.
  • First team to use the Express Pass and Fast Forward in consecutive legs.

US[]

External links[]

Interviews[]

  • Lisa Lozana at ET Online (09/26/2014): "Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton and Hubby Preview Amazing Race"
  • Rob Cesternino at RHAP (12/22/2014): "Amazing Race 25 | Finale Exit Interviews"
  • Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (12/23/2014): "We Knew Things Weren't Going Our Way"
  • Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (12/23/2014): "Exclusive:The Amazing Race's Bethany Hamilton and Adam Dirks talk" [Parts 1 and 2]
  • Elimination Interviews at CBS.com (12/23/2014): "Elimination Interview: Bethany and Adam"

Social Media Profiles[]


References[]

The Amazing Race 25 Teams
 Adam & Bethany
Married Surfers
S25 AdamBethany
 Amy & Maya
Food Scientists
S25 AmyMaya
 Brooke & Robbie
Dating Pro Wrestlers
S25 BrookeRobbie
 Dennis & Isabelle
Newly Dating
S25 DennisIsabelle
S25 KeithWhitney
 Kym & Alli
Urban Bike Racers
S25 KymAlli
 Lisa & Michelle
Realtor Sisters
S25 LisaMichelle
 Michael & Scott
Firefighters
S25 MichaelScott
 Misti & Jim
Married Dentists
S25 MistiJim
 Shelley & Nici
Mother/Daughter
S25 ShelleyNici
 Tim & Te Jay
College Sweethearts
S25 TimTeJay
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