In 2003, she survived a shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off; ultimately, she returned to professional surfing and wrote about her experiences in the 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.

[3] Hamilton was home-schooled from sixth grade through high school by her mother, a housewife, while her father was a waiter at a town café.

The Blanchards helped paddle Hamilton back to shore, then Alana's father fashioned a tourniquet out of a rash guard and wrapped it around the stump of her arm.

Hamilton's father, who was scheduled to have knee surgery that same morning, was already there, but she took his place in the operating room with the same doctor.When the news of the shark attack broke, a family of fishermen led by Ralph Young presented to investigators photos of a 14-foot-long (4.3 m) tiger shark they had caught and killed about one mile from the attack site.

[10] Hamilton has participated in multiple public speaking events and is "motivating audiences worldwide to live their life with more tenacity, courage, and faith".

Described as a "faith-based documentary", the film addresses her devout Christianity and the courage and faith in Jesus in the aftermath of the shark attack and follows her quest for spiritual meaning.

In 2011, Hamilton appeared in a video for the Christian organization I Am Second, telling of her struggle after the shark attack and how she trusted in God to get her through it.

[20] Hamilton was featured in a short film by RipCurl titled Master and Apprentice alongside young female surfer Erin Brooks.

Along with being a professional surfer, Hamilton now offers mentorship classes on faith, healing, personal health, and relationships.

Hamilton is involved in numerous charitable efforts, including her own foundation, Friends of Bethany,[36] which reaches out to amputees and youth, encouraging them to overcome difficulties by offering hope through Jesus Christ.

Using her platform as a professional athlete to promote living a fit and healthy lifestyle, Hamilton authored the book Body and Soul in 2014.

[38] Within the Friends of Bethany Foundation, there are four different programs: In January 2023, Hamilton announced that she would boycott all World Surf League events following their decision to allow transgender women to compete in the female category provided they maintain a testosterone level below 5nmol/L for 12 months prior.

Hamilton questioned whether hormone levels were a fair and accurate assessment of sex, stating that transgender athletes should have a separate division created for them.