In June 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her bedroom at knifepoint and held captive for nine months, enduring abuse that would have broken most people beyond repair. Against extraordinary odds, she survived, and then she decided to step fully into the public eye; not in spite of what happened to her, but because of it. She has testified before Congress, helped author a Department of Justice handbook for kidnapping survivors, and founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to dismantle the shame culture that compounds survivors' trauma. In this powerful episode, Elizabeth walks us through the night that changed everything, how she held onto hope during nine months of captivity, what justice looked and felt like after nearly eight years of waiting, and why she believes that being seen is one of the most radical things a survivor can do.

 

Chapters:

00:00 Content Warning

00:10 Welcome to She Pivots

01:32 Elizabeth Smart's Early Life

07:10 The Night Elizabeth was Abducted

12:08 Captivity and Torture

17:57 Elizabeth’s Will To Survive

20:16 A Sign of Hope

22:41 Why Elizabeth Didn't Run

26:17 The Rescue

28:45 The Return Home and Aftermath

35:32 Navigating the Justice System

41:01 Advocating for Change & Raising Her Children

45:22 The Elizabeth Smart Foundation

46:17 Low Point to Launch

49:26 Unasked Questions and Final Thoughts

50:58 Closing Remarks and Resources

51:39 Podcast Credits

 

Learn more about Elizabeth’s work at elizabethsmartfoundation.org

 

If anything in today's episode brought something up for you and you need help, please reach out to someone you trust or visit rainn.org 

 

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She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

 

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