We’ve never been more disconnected than we are right now, making it harder than ever to determine if we really, truly matter in this world. The key to staying in the game? Bravely connecting to others, of course.
It is my privilege to share five more stories from our amazing community of finding strength through connection. Thank you for reminding others that we’re #BraverTogether and for being the light at the end of the tunnel for someone else.
Lisa Magera
Our school principal is so much more than just that and goes above and beyond in all areas. When COVID shut down our entire school and had almost every teacher in isolation, she put in countless hours sending emails and making personal phone calls to every single family putting them at ease and answering any questions. She was able to support her staff by offering to print and prepare material for students, she sent us emails telling us how amazing we were and texts with positive and uplifting messages. She personally drove to every family that had a positive test to drop off school supplies, computers, coffee and timbits for them. The wellbeing of every student and staff member is put ahead of her own needs. I am lucky to call her my principal, but even luckier to call her my friend. #BraverTogether
Gail Powlik
My daughters best friend (a daughter to me – a loving & loved member of our family) died in a crash and our lives will never be the same.
Everyone is suffering. Though we were friends prior, during those first weeks I grew incredibly close to her mom. I needed to support her cause my anguish and pain could not compare to hers! Soon I found myself embraced, supported, and loved by her 3 sisters as well, who I had never met before this time.
Over a year later these four incredibly special women are a crucial part of my life. Though they were devastated and hurting beyond measure they took me in, held me dear, and kept me close. We shared our grief. We bonded through trauma. We developed an unbreakable lifelong connection.
And we’ve been walking each other home ever since. I would not have made it through without them.
Lauren Shaw
My children and I left a violent and crime ridden country to come to Canada and forge a better life for ourselves during a world pandemic. Their father left us just as our visas came through and I am now a single parent playing both roles as mom and dad all on my own. With my babies by my side we are making a new life in Canada. We survived an emergency appendicitis scare, and beat a cancer diagnosis all within the first 5 months of being here. This photo was the first smile I could manage after the doctors cut 2 cms out of my lip to try to remove the cancer. I will forever be grateful for the doctors! Now I am trying to save enough money to buy a house while going through an international divorce at the same time. The hits keep coming, but me and my two children remain #BraverTogether.
Erika Kok
I am a first year teacher with borderline personality disorder, PTSD, and depression. I also have physical disabilities. In 2017 I attempted suicide. I am still here. I am fighting everyday. And I am going to be an amazing educator. #BraverTogether
Kelsey Vickers
The pandemic has thrown our business some good curve balls. In 2019-2020 my business partner and I were full swing into our expansion. We had no idea what was waiting for us in the spring of 2020 and how a virus would turn things upside down. After the first shutdown, we took our program virtual, thinking how long can this last, it’s just for a little while….fast forward to April 2021 and we are still virtual. We may not be able to see all of our awesome girls faces in person, but they have continued to show up for themselves and each other every single week. Not only were the kids resilient, the parents have been so supportive of us and their girls throughout the changes. As for our expansion, we faced a lot of setbacks but we will still have a new location ready for the fall and we are so excited! Through the crazy and uncertainty Covid has built us all up stronger than ever! We are so grateful for our Fit+Fierce community, we are definitely stronger together #BraverTogether
I am in awe of the strength and vulnerability of this community and I am so grateful to you for allowing us to raise your voices so that we can start to see ourselves in each other. Congratulations on each winning a ticket to Together 2021 on May 8th. We can’t wait to reconnect with you.
Together is a day meant for you to see your story in ours. In the mess of all of the disconnect and uncertainty, we’ve created a safe space to talk about hard things and remind each other that we are #BraverTogether.
Let’s continue to embrace our vulnerability and find strength together. I hope you’ll join us. I promise we’ll be better, together, because of it.
