00:00Music
00:26This is Tim Wasper from Fast Track Unstruck TV
00:29I'm here in Austin Texas for the South by Southwest Film Festival
00:33The different people that were involved in it
00:35How did you know it was the right people to tell your story?
00:39This actually didn't start out as a true crime documentary
00:44It evolved over years of
00:48It took years for me to open up to them
00:50And really realize that I could trust them to tell this story
00:56One stipulation that I had is I never wanted a recreation of any sort
01:01Of the actual moment of impact what happened to me
01:04And they were always very respectful of that
01:08And so little by little I gave them more and more access to my life
01:12Access to the train conductors that they interviewed
01:15And went from there
01:20I had a lot of that going into this climb
01:23You can't do it, you're gonna hurt yourself
01:27I didn't tell you that story about how I started the first time
01:31And someone was like, you cannot do this, you're lazy, you know
01:36Oh, I've heard that
01:37And that was like, see me then
01:41Because if myself also I listened to those buddies
01:45Even someone like my family
01:47Yeah
01:47They really care about
01:49They're like, no we don't want you to hug
01:51But I was like, this is something that I like
01:54They're like, no, no, no
01:55People just tell me I'm crazy
01:59I've been told many times
02:00I started climbing back in 2018
02:04I started with the Manitou Incline
02:06And from there it was a joke
02:09What's next, Pikes Peak?
02:11And on Pikes Peak it was a joke
02:12What's next, Kilimanjaro?
02:16But that's how I got into the climbing aspect of everything
02:20The progression of that
02:21I'm also the first woman to summit Cerro Tusa
02:25The world's tallest natural pyramid
02:27And the Statue of Liberty
02:29Yes, I knew going into this
02:31That I needed to be as light as possible
02:34As far as my weight was concerned
02:35So I cut weight back to like 80 pounds
02:38I was 80 pounds sopping wet whenever we filmed for this
02:42And you know, ambulating at, with my arms
02:46The way that I do
02:47It takes like 200% more physical exertion
02:51For me to ambulate than it does an able-bodied person
02:53And so I had to cut weight
02:57I had to make sure that I was strength training
02:59And really doing a lot of cardio and endurance
03:02To make sure that I was keeping the pace
03:06That we needed to keep for that track
03:09I trained for over a year
03:11Going, leading into Kilimanjaro
03:13It was quite the experience
03:15You don't understand
03:43Just to get here before dark
03:45That was partially me being stubborn
03:47And pushing a little harder
03:48But now I'm going to pay for that
03:53Seeing how they're built
03:54And how they tell the story
03:56Is so crucial
03:58You know, obviously you were involved in that
04:00From the get-go
04:01But you're also allowed to see
04:03Many different perspectives
04:05I actually wasn't
04:07I wasn't involved in the editing process
04:11I wanted to give them creative freedom
04:15And at the same time
04:17Give them my trust
04:20That's how I personally grow
04:21But no, I wanted to give them creative freedom
04:25And I'm glad that I did that
04:28Because through that experience
04:30You know, I got to see
04:31A more objective perspective of myself
04:34That I turned out to enjoy
04:38It was like, I feel seen
04:40I feel validated
04:41I feel heard
04:42Showing your family
04:43You know, family's perfect, of course
04:46But being able to show that
04:48And then, interesting
04:49It's like the found family
04:50Like the one that you had on Kilimanjaro
04:51With the one guy
04:53He was phenomenal
04:54Yeah, you know
04:55I think that this was kind of seen
04:58In the documentary
04:59But whenever I started this
05:01I kind of went in with arrogance
05:03And there's a really great line
05:05In the documentary
05:06Where Carol is like
05:07You know, arrogance isn't going to make
05:10You get up this mountain
05:11It's respect
05:12And respect for the people around you
05:16Respect for the situation that you're in
05:19Respect for the mountain
05:23But the people of Africa
05:25They did become a chosen family
05:27And you know, I'm just so grateful
05:31To my own parents
05:33For opening up
05:35Because this was
05:36Them explaining their trauma too
05:38You know, they were traumatized
05:40Through this experience
05:41And what happened
05:44But I'm also grateful to
05:46You know, the people that didn't even know me
05:49That like
05:51They took a birthday cake up the mountain
05:54And there's a great shot of me
05:56In the mess tent that night
05:58Eating my birthday cake
05:59But it was so special for me
06:07To be treated with that much respect
06:11And care from people that had only heard of my name
06:15And heard of what I was trying to do
06:17It was incredible
06:31To work a little bit
06:33Yeah, that one's open
06:37Can you?
06:38Yeah
06:40Okay
06:40Okay
06:42Sorry
06:43You're, I'm sorry
06:46It's a lot like going through the saddle. That's the metaphor that I'm going to use because you're open, you're
06:53exposed to the elements, which is these theatrical cinematic storytellers that really want to elevate the story and tell it
07:06with respect and care.
07:07I wouldn't say that I'm totally healed. I think that healing is an ongoing process and it's never linear. I
07:18think that there's grace to be given, but when it comes to mindset, it really is a choice.
07:33There are so many ways to go about getting things done, but it comes back to choices and making good
07:45choices and surrounding yourself with people that will elevate you rather than tear you down. That's a big one.
07:55Don't get an infection in there, no. Tough day, huh? Okay. Let me just see. I might suck it a
08:07little bit.
08:12You have your own specific perspective about your journey. Yeah. But people have their perception of what that journey is.
08:19You know, and sometimes that's, they're at odds with each other and you sort of have to overcome that idea.
08:24It's a very, I guess I don't know how to answer the right way, just because it's such a surreal
08:32experience for me still. It's very overwhelming emotionally.
08:36I can't watch the film without re-experiencing the trauma that I went through.
08:40Um, and so for me, it's literally immersing myself back into my past and my trauma and, um, reliving that
08:50experience through talking about it and, um,
08:54Is it cathartic in a way or is it?
08:56It is cathartic. Uh, it is cathartic. And seeing, you know, the documentary and having more answers than I have
09:04in over a decade is absolutely a part of my healing journey and the catharticism that has come from this.
09:11So I, yeah, I would definitely agree with that.
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