Welcome to the Grit Show!
In this episode, Elizabeth Smart talks about being kidnapped at knifepoint when she was 14, and her experience as she lived in hiding with captors who sexually abused her for 9 months until she was finally rescued.
She shares her initial thoughts while being taken, and how the situation felt impossible and that it couldn’t be real. After realizing it was real, she had to shift her mindset to get through this experience. She shares where her mentality was during this time.
The number one question she gets is why she didn’t tell law enforcement what was going on when they asked, and she shares some insight into why she handled things as she did, including protecting her family.
After sharing her story, she explains how her mom taught her that her happiness was up to her and that these kinds of teachings, and growing up with brothers, are what helped her endure her time in hiding.
One of the things that stood out to her was how much the captors raged at each other, and this is one of the reasons that she didn’t dare to escape. She had never seen anger like this before.
In this episode, she shares other specific experiences when they are without food and water, times when one of her captors had a short stint in prison, and her attempt to save herself through hitchhiking.
Throughout the rest of the podcast, Elizabeth talks about forms of therapy that she used to recover from her traumatic experience, and also how it has affected her outlook on life, how she parents, and a compassionate perspective on trauma.
She has such a positive outlook and shares the blessings she has received, particularly from her family. And the power of intuition.
The abduction of Elizabeth Smart was one of the most followed child abduction cases of our time. Elizabeth was abducted on June 5, 2002, and her captors controlled her by threatening to kill her and her family if she tried to escape. Fortunately, the police safely returned Elizabeth back to her family on March 12, 2003, after being held a prisoner for 9 grueling months.
Through this traumatic experience, Elizabeth has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs, and National legislation. Elizabeth triumphantly testified before her captor and the world about the very private nightmare she suffered during her abduction, which led to conviction.
The Founder of the “Elizabeth Smart Foundation”, Elizabeth has also helped promote The National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions.
Elizabeth’s abduction and recovery continue to motivate parents, law enforcement and leaders worldwide to focus on children’s safety. She emphasizes vigilance by "everyday" people and the belief that hope always exists to find every missing child.
Smart attended Brigham Young University, studying music as a harp performance major. She married her husband Matthew in 2012, and they now have two beautiful children. Elizabeth’s example is a daily demonstration that there really is life after tragedy.
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