Her Story
About Victoria
I have been a writer for years, working primarily in magazines and humorous writing before publishing my first book. I served as Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce at Smith Mountain Lake for 17 years, where my role involved attracting people to the region and extensive public speaking. Prior to that, I held positions including national marketing director for a large steakhouse chain, roles that brought me recognition and visibility. On August 26, 2015, my life changed forever during a live television interview about the 50th anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake. I was shot and left for dead alongside two colleagues who were killed, reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward. The shooter was a former employee of the station who had been fired for aggressive and threatening behavior. I survived a gunshot wound that traveled through my body, destroying my kidney and causing massive internal bleeding. The years that followed brought additional challenges, including battles with Workers' Compensation who tried to deny my claim, theft of pain medication by home healthcare workers, multiple surgeries, an ostomy, severe tinnitus from bullets fired close to my head, and a period of depression. Despite these obstacles, I chose to focus on gratitude and moving forward rather than bitterness. My book 'Survival Has Consequences: Shot at Left to Die' was published in 2024 and has resonated with readers who appreciate both the raw authenticity of the story and the humor I wove throughout. The book has been described as something people can't put down, with many finishing it in one or two days. I continue to do book signings, speak at book clubs, and work on marketing the book while also fundraising for a community center project at Smith Mountain Lake.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Victoria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to choosing gratitude and positivity every single day, no matter how much pain I'm in or how difficult things get. Every morning, I wake up and make a conscious decision - am I going to be a miserable, grumbly, bitter person over what happened to me, or am I just going to make the most of it? I choose to wake up with a feeling of thankfulness and gratitude, and I slap a smile on my face. Yeah, I'm hurt, but people can't see your hurt, so I smile rather than complain. I surround myself with very positive people who enjoy life, because if you're associating with people that are just nothing but down and complaining, it's quite likely that you'd be that way too. I lift other people's spirits and gravitate towards people who are optimistic. I also push myself to stay active - it would be very hard to keep a positive, upbeat attitude sitting on a couch. Even on days when I can barely walk, I get up and continue to walk, and it gets easier. One foot in front of the other. When you get out and you're doing something joyous and meeting with people, you forget about the pain. You cannot focus on being super happy and in pain at the same time - one gives way to the other. So I just always try to keep myself very active and keep negativity out.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are honesty and faithfulness - I have very strong attitudes about that. But beyond those core values, what really matters to me is the choice to move forward rather than stay stuck in bitterness. Things can happen in a second, and there's no going back. It's not like you can redial and say you really didn't mean to have that happen. A lot of people who have lost a limb, been in a horrible automobile accident, or faced serious illness become angry and bitter, asking 'why me?' That bitterness carries over to other people, and it's a bad way to live for the person experiencing it and the people around them who are having to put up with it. Everybody feels bad about the situation, but you can't change it. All you can do is move forward. My message is that every day you have an opportunity to wake up and decide who you're going to be. I choose gratitude and to make the most of every day. I also value being surrounded by loving, caring people, and I believe you have to respond the same way of being terrific, no matter how bad you feel. You're surrounded by loving, caring people for the most part, and you just have to live up to that and reciprocate the energy.
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