I am pumped. I am proud. I am invited.
At 61 years old, I’ll be stepping onto the stage as a keynote speaker at an upcoming event celebrating what it means to move through the world with the intention to be clean and sober — and free.
But my story didn’t start there.
The first time I put a joint in my mouth, I was 8 years old.
The first time I sniffed gas, I was 10.
The first time I took a drink, I was 12.
The first time I put a needle in my arm, I was 14.
Why would a child do these things?
Because child sexual violence lives in the shadows. And when it is ignored, minimized, or denied, it doesn’t disappear — it burrows deep. It grows roots. It shows up later in addiction, in behaviour, in survival strategies that once kept a child alive.
Some of us made it to our 18th birthday. But we carried the aftermath with us.
Today, I heal because I show up and speak up.
I am not alone anymore. I stand alongside other survivors who are fighting not just to survive — but to transform what happened to us into strength, advocacy, and protection for the next generation.
We speak because silence protects perpetrators.
We speak because children deserve better.
We speak so we never have to explain to the next generation why we stayed quiet.
We are Warriors.
If you believe in recovery.
If you believe in protecting children.
If you believe healing is possible.
You are welcome.