Cydney Blanchard is based on a real life person in the movie Soul Surfer . She is the mother of Alana and Byron and wife to Holt Blanchard. Alana, Byron and Holt were surfing with Bethany Hamilton at the time of the shark attack. Cydney Blanchard is played by actress Arlene Newman-Van Asperen in the movie Soul Surfer . At the premier of Soul Surfer in Los Angeles, Arlene talked about meeting Cydney Blanchard and how that prepared her for her role in the movie.