Stirring the fire
Kathleen Milliken (Schmidt) is by any accounts a strong woman. When you meet her she is vivacious, full of energy and drive. What you wouldn’t necessarily guess is that she is a survivor of domestic violence until she tells you with passion and pride what she has accomplished since leaving the relationship 15 years ago; since taking her life back. During her 6 years of marriage to an extremely abusive man, she narrowly escaped with her life. She has written about this experience in her book, Escaping the Glass Cage; a Story of Survival and Empowerment from Domestic Violence.
Kathleen's Autobiography
According to UN Women, 1 in 3 women around the world will be abused in their lifetime. The statistics differ from country to country but domestic violence is a universal phenomenon that does not discriminate between race, education, religion, class or sexual orientation. For too many women around the world this is their reality, perpetuated by cultural norms that condone violence against women.
But there can be a way out and hope for a new life, as Kathleen shows us. Besides having a blog-talk radio show, working full time and creating empowerment workshops for survivors, Kathleen is preparing to climb Mt. Rainier (14,411 ft. or 4,392 meters) in September. She will be climbing this summer to raise awareness about domestic violence and encourage others to take their own steps toward empowerment. This project is “Climb for Empowerment” and truly embodies her own path to freedom. She explains, “It is by choice, to take one step after another. My dream is to show the world that if I can make a new life, so can you, one step at a time. I know how hard it is to rebuild a life. It takes a lot of courage to start over, learn how to live again and grow through the pain. So this climb is a symbol of that growth.”
Kathleen on Mt. Rainier Summer of 2011
Inspired by this idea, I wanted to find out more about it and asked her the following questions:
How did you get the idea to climb Rainier to raise awareness?
I’ve seen many organizations climbing Mt. Rainier for many different and important causes, but none for domestic violence awareness. So, I thought, why not me?
Are there currently any other survivors joining you?
At this moment, I’m a one woman show. But what has been so fun is being contacted by so many women from all around the world with their support; wanting to do their own version of “Climb” to support their local women’s shelter.
What motivates you to engage in the rigorous training day in day out?
I remember how hard it was to leave my abuser and start over. It is a one-day-at-a-time process, or as I like to say, one step at a time. This is what helps me keep going. I keep pictures up around my home with Mt. Rainier and to me, it’s more than just getting to the top, it is the journey. I call my training hikes, climbing stairs and lots of time on the treadmill my “Zen time”. It is a chance for me to be in nature (or watch something inspiring on a DVD if training at home). I often think of John Muir, naturalist and activist who was an early climber of Mt. Rainier. He once said, “Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. ”
Not a quitter, Kathleen explains her previous summit attempt in 2011. On my first climb I only made it to high camp at 11,200 feet but was unable to summit due to altitude sickness. It burns in my heart to go at it again. Just as it takes several tries for many men and women to leave their abuser, it is taking me more than once to go at the summit. So this time I know how to train harder and have a better understanding on how my body works not only with the equipment, but how exhausting it is to climb. Whether I make it to the top isn’t the most important part (although I’d love to have that experience!); I want to create a movement for others to say, “Hey, if she can do it, so can I!” I’m climbing to empower survivors of domestic violence and abuse….one step at a time.
To learn more about and support Kathleen’s climb, visit www.kathleenmschmidt.com and click on “Climb for Empowerment”. There are ways they can support the climb, for example: purchasing “Embracelets of Hope (a small percentage will be supporting the climb itself, the rest will be going towards Girl Child Network Worldwide and The Pixel Project). The same applies for “Climb for Empowerment” T-Shirts. Any purchases are tax deductible.
Kathleen concludes with this inspirational message that we all can take strength from -
I truly believe that all healing and empowerment begins from within. And for us to have peace in our world, we must first have peace within our homes, within ourselves. If you can find that spark, that driving force that pulls you in the direction of doing something bigger than you, listen to it. We each have a voice, we each can make a difference in the world, and it all starts with us.
