Beltran is from Columbia and in 1985, when she was just 21 years old, she helped rescue people who were trapped in the landslides and floods of Armero, the worst natural disaster in the history of Columbia. She carried children on her back in water up to her neck. Her brother, who was in the military, told her she couldn’t go to help, but she insisted and finally he agreed. She even had a seat at the table when the government and other rescue agencies met to discuss strategy. Beltran does not mind being in the thick of it.