June 5-14, 2015
04
PoSITIVE
TRANSITIoN
winniPeg Pride Parade
grand Marshal
shandi strong
by
holli
MoncrieFF
FoR
THE
FREE
PRESS
There was a point in Shandi
Strong's life when she found
herself sitting on her kitchen
floor, deciding which knife she
should use to slit her wrists.
Back then, she couldn't imagine
how dramatically her life would
change, and how her experience
would inspire others.
"It got really dark there for a
while, so I withdrew. I didn't
think I had any friends. I wasn't
eating," Strong says. "Now
everything's coming up golden.
I'm happy; I have a brand-new
car, a nice house, wonderful
friends, and a woman I've been
dating for two years, whom I'm
madly in love with. The struggles
were tough, but they were
overcome, and so worth it."
ShaNdI STroNg overcame
oBSTacleS IN her owN lIfe.
Now, her STory helpS aNd
INSpIreS oTherS.
Photo by Darcy Finley
story continueD on Page 06>
