Heather Martin is a survivor of the Columbine shooting. She was a senior when two other members of her class killed 12 students and one teacher at their Littleton, Colorado high school on April 20, 1999.

She and dozens of other students sought shelter in a choir office, where a SWAT team rescued them after three hours.

“Three hours is a long time,” Heather says, “and three hours is a long time to also fear for your life.”

What Heather shares about her healing journey speaks to trauma’s depths and its long lasting effects. She says the term "the new normal” was life-altering.

“All of a sudden I just realized I am different,” she says. “I am not the same person that I was before the shooting, and that's okay. There's no way I could be the same person. There's no way.”

Heather co-founded The Rebels Project, an organization that offers support for mass shooting and trauma survivors. She has taught English at a high school in Aurora since 2013.

In this episode:
The day of the shooting [2:35]
Its effect on Heather: ‘Constant simmering of anger’ [6:25]
Heather returns to Columbine 10 years later [11:25] 
The origins of The Rebel’s Project [15:52]
The benefits of therapy [17:22]
Heather’s advice for those facing challenges [18:35]

More:
If you would like to learn more about The Rebels Project co-founded by Heather Martin visit the organization’s website. 

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