Lisa Beamer

“Let’s roll!” Those words became a cry of hope after 9/11; they were also the last known words that Lisa Beamer’s husband, Todd ever spoke. They are also the title of Lisa’s book which tells the story of her marriage to Todd, the events surrounding 9/11, and the aftermath and impact on Lisa, her family, and her country.

Lisa is a mother and author. She is also the chairman and founder of the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, created to pass on Todd’s legacy of character, faith and courage to a new generation of young people. Its purpose is to help children across the nation who have been affected by family trauma to make heroic choices every day. One of the ways the foundation is doing that is through its program, Heroic Choices, which “is anchored by a high-impact, 3-day retreat experience. During the retreat, the children participate in a variety of team- and confidence-building activities, while laying the groundwork for a long-term mentorship.”

She has been recognized by People magazine as being one of the “25 Most Intriguing People of 2001,” and the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, which selected her for its 2002 Liberty Bell Award which recognizes “the individualism, courage, enterprise and altruism of leaders in a free society.” She has appeared on television shows such as Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Dateline NBC, 20/20, 60 Minutes, and Oprah.

When asked what she hopes to accomplish through Let's Roll!, Lisa replies, “I want to show readers who might not have a Christian background how a relationship with Jesus Christ can affect your life in any circumstance. I also want them to see Todd and me as we really were—a normal couple—not some 9-11 heroes.”

Lisa and her three children live in New Jersey.

Information from Tyndale House Publishers. www.beamerfoundation.org, www.ever-green.addr.com, www.pa-bar.org, and www.christianitytoday.org. Posted May 2003.