(Photo: Jack Finnegan/ Unsplash)
Moments.
A brief period in time that changes everything. Some moments we celebrate. Some moments we mourn. And other moments are unimaginable.
That’s what happened to Amy Downs on April 19, 1995.
I’ve mentioned before that I lived in Yukon, Oklahoma in high school. On that spring day, I was a senior anxiously awaiting graduation. That morning as I left for school, I waved to my next-door neighbor, Kathy Finley. She headed to work at the Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.
Two hours later, the front half of the federal building lay in rubble and smoke, brought down by a domestic terrorism attack. Kathy was one of the 168 people killed that day.
For Amy Downs, however, that day served as a catalyst for change. It became her defining moment.
Story of Survival
In April 1995, Amy Downs worked as a teller in the Federal Employee Credit Union in the Murrah Building. Kathy had first interviewed Amy, and ultimately became a friend as the two women worked together. But Amy’s life wasn’t happy. She felt like a failure – a college dropout, significantly overweight, and struggling in her marriage.
The morning of the 19th, she was at work like any other day. But at 9:02 am, she felt herself falling three stories into a crater left by a truck bomb. In the immediate aftermath, she didn’t know if she was alive or dead. As the hours ticked by, her mind wandered through countless questions: What happened? Where am I? Is anyone going to find me?
Eventually, help did come. A rescuer found her and did his best to reassure her that she would be okay. But when a second bomb scare forced rescuers to leave, Amy again questioned if she would survive, or even if she should survive. After what seemed like an eternity, rescue workers returned and pulled her from the rubble.
Amy was one of the last people rescued from the building.
Hope Is a Verb
With her nephew’s help, Amy shared her story in her book, Hope Is a Verb. The book, however, really isn’t about the bombing. The book chronicles how the hours she spent trapped beneath the tons of rubble changed her life. When she interviewed with Kathy Finely at the credit union, Amy didn’t have the skills needed for the job. But one of the managers decided to give her a chance. And while she learned the job, she could not advance within the organization because she didn’t have the required education and certifications.
Outside of work, her personal life didn’t feel much better. At 350 pounds, Amy couldn’t enjoy time with her family and friends. Her marriage had begun falling apart. There was little in her life that excited her or gave her hope.
As she lay trapped, Amy faced the reality that she might die. This realization made her take stock of her life. And it wasn’t pretty.
“I was about to die and realized I had never truly lived.”
If she survived, Amy vowed she would make changes.
From Surviving To Thriving
Following the bombing, Amy knew she had to take advantage of her second chance. This required a complete mindset shift. Instead of thinking of herself as a victim, both of the bombing and previous life circumstances, Amy began thinking of herself as someone worthy of more.
She went back to school, taking one or two classes at a time, until she earned her bachelor’s degree. She began exercising and became more intentional about her health. Little by little, she started losing weight. Over time, she pushed herself to start riding a bicycle. And as she got healthier, her goals became greater. Amy would go on to become an Ironman triathlete. After her first marriage ended, Amy again found love with her second husband and raised her son. She went on to earn graduate degrees.
Today, Amy serves as the President and CEO of Allegiant Credit Union (formerly the Federal Employee Credit Union). In a conversation I had with her via her Facebook page, Amy told me she is now living in Yukon, in the same subdivision where Kathy Finley and I lived in back in 1995.
Through her experiences, Amy also became an advocate for redevelopment projects in Oklahoma City, as well as promoting citywide health initiatives. As a speaker and regular podcast guest, Amy shares her transformation to encourage others in their own journeys.
How Will You Define Your Moment?
While Amy Downs could never have imagined having to survive a domestic terror attack, that moment changed her life forever. Of course, experiencing such a traumatic event left physical and mental scars that will never go away. She still experiences waves of emotion especially around the anniversary of the bombing. But the moment she was rescued became her moment of triumph. She reframed her thoughts and took action to create a new life.
As part of her transformation, Amy developed a new mantra: “You’re capable of more than you think.” This mindset shift didn’t happen overnight. But in the moment of darkness trapped beneath tons of rubble, she found a moment of hope.
For most of us, thankfully, life’s defining moments won’t be because of terrorism, war, or other violent acts. But for Amy Downs, 9:02 am on April 19, 1995, became a moment that began in darkness but brought about hope. It was in that moment where she decided to be more than just a survivor. She chose to thrive.
The question is, when you face a defining moment, will you choose hope?
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