When Elizabeth returned home from that fateful flight, she spoke to her husband, Matthew Gilmour, about feeling down about why she would have to go through something traumatic again. 

"Do I just have a big badge on my forehead that says 'easy pray' or 'victim?' Because I am just sick of it," she said.  

Her husband then asked her if she would be able to defend herself if another similar situation arose in the future. That's when she decided to develop Smart Defense. 

The program encourages women, especially teenagers, to learn various tactics to use in the case of an emergency involving a predator, loved one, or stranger. Elizabeth teamed up with law enforcement agents as well, who have taught techniques used when apprehending criminals. 

When asked if she thought that this class would have helped her in her 2002 kidnapping, Elizabeth said she didn't think it would have prevented it from happening. But, she recalled instances during her months in captivity where the course would have come in handy.