Colorado Springs teacher honored as USAF hometown hero for life-saving actions
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Colorado Springs teacher is being honored for her heroism by being taken aboard a Thunderbird during the Pueblo air show on Friday, Sept. 26.
Laura Smith is an educator and a certified American Red Cross CPR, AED, and first aid instructor, and soon-to-be passenger of a Thunderbird as she makes the trek from Widefield High School to the Pueblo Airport for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to participate in the "Wings of Pride" Pueblo air show.
All due to her bravery back in 2013, when she sprang into action during a soccer game between Widefield and Harrison High School, when a player suddenly collapsed.
"While I was on the phone with 911, we established that his heart had stopped, and I had started doing CPR at that point, so when the AED got there, I hooked up the AED. AED was like Yup, we need to do a shock," says Laura Smith.
Smith saved a student's life that day.
Alongside being a hero, Smith has also impacted many by training an estimated 500-750 people in CPR and AED over the years.
Starting Friday, Smith will be able to say she was the 2025 USAF Hometown Hero, alongside an honor she received in 2024, Red Cross Hero of the Year.
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