Canonsburg woman going ‘Over the Edge’
Kathleen Smith
Kathleen Smith of Canonsburg, shown hiking with her dog, Nash, will rappel 26 stories in downtown Pittsburgh in September during the “Over the Edge” fundraiser for Our Clubhouse, a nonprofit cancer support center.
After a nearly 40-year hiatus, Kathleen Smith has decided to rappel again.
And she is going to do it in a big way – and for a good cause.
The 65-year-old Canonsburg woman plans to rappel 26 stories from the top of the Henry W. Oliver Building onto Smithfield Street, across from Mellon Square in Pittsburgh, Sept. 8 during the “Over the Edge” fundraiser to benefit Our Clubhouse, a nonprofit that provides free emotional and social support to those touched by cancer in western Pennsylvania.
“I actually have little fear of heights,” Smith said. “When my husband was learning to rappel, I had no intention of doing it. But the instructor was so logical and explained everything so clearly. I discovered that my fear of heights was actually a fear of open spaces.”
Which means, Smith doesn’t plan on taking in the sights while hanging high above the ground. Instead, she will focus on the building, fixing her gaze at the stone and terra cotta facade during her descent.
Smith said she has never tackled anything this high in her rappelling experiences, sticking with Coopers Rock in West Virginia and a few places in Westmoreland County.
But she believes she is up to the challegne. She said she is “reasonably physically fit,” and she has been using squeezy balls and hand weights to strengthen her muscles.
“You use your grip to control your speed,” Smith said. “I am mostly preparing mentally for the moment I lean back.”
Smith began to train shortly after she heard about the fundraiser in June during a meeting of Business and Professional Women of Pennsylvania, Washington chapter, in which the guest speaker shared stories and outlined the services Our Clubhouse provides. Among them are health and movement workshops, like yoga, meditation and healthy cooking classes to improve the well-being of mind and body; short-term one-on-one support sessions for adults, children and teens; and art and expression workshops to promote relaxation.
Smith is an active member of BPW, serving as vice president of both the Canonsburg and Washington chapters and corresponding secretrary of the Washington-Fayette County District, so she wanted to do her part to support Our Clubhouse, especially since it has been named BPW’s 2017-18 state project.
“When she (the speaker) asked if anyone had rappelled, I raised my hand and said, ‘Yes, like 40 years ago,'” Smith said. “Then it was like a bubble in a cartoon that floats over the character’s head, and I thought, ‘I could totally do this.’
“Then my friends started clapping, and once my friends started clapping, it really stuck. My friends are calling me a crazy lady.”
And as daunting as the descent down the Oliver Building may seem, Smith said it pales in comparison to what cancer patients and their families face every day.
“It’s scary,” Smith said. “It takes five to 15 minutes coming down the ropes. When I’m on the ground, I’m done. It’s not like what those families go through.”
Smith said she lost a cousin to breast cancer at a young age, as well as a stepsister who died of cancer. She also has several friends who are dealing with ongoing cancer battles, either as a patient or with a spouse.
To participate in the fundraiser, Smith must raise at least $1,500. She is closing in on her goal. On her fundraising page, Smith wrote:
“Like many of you, I have watched and ached and prayed as people close to me struggled with cancer. Each person has to find their own way of dealing with it, and those of us close to them do our best to support them and their families. I marvel at the strength, grace, courage and humor – yes, even humor – that my friends and family have conjured up as they struggle with pain, fatigue and all the rest of it.”
To make a donation on Smith’s behalf for “Over the Edge,” visit firstgiving.com/fundraiser/Kathleen-Smith-20/otepgh.