Sam
The Story
Sam fought her way out of an abusive relationship where she lost every part of herself to become a Guiness World Record holder and Britain’s Strongest Woman.
She uses her voice to inspire women everywhere to know that it gets better, you are beautiful just the way you are, and that you are far stronger than you think.
This is her story.
The Portraits
Throughout her relationship with her abuser, she was silenced in every sense of the word.
She changed the way she existed in this world, losing her androgynous identity, her strength, and her voice to try and stop the abuse.
When she finally went to the police, battered and with evidence in hand, they told her she “should have known better”.
Now, years later, she has found a beautiful, healthy love, reclaimed her true self, and has found next level mental and physical strength as an competitive strongwoman. She is the first Welsh woman to win Britain’s Strongest Woman Masters and holds a Guinness World Record for pulling a plane with her loving wife Sue.
This is the Sam you see here.
We designed two portraits for each survivor in our campaign, a deeply personal pairing to illustrate her own unique journey from control and silence to freedom and voice.
Sam’s first portrait represents the years of wearing dresses and heels to try to stop the onslaught of abuse, and the pivotal moment when she literally threw them all in the bin, set her old life on fire, and began the journey toward rising from the ashes to find herself again.
The second portrait represents her liberation and transformation into the woman who fought her way back from the darkness and found tremendous inner and outer strength in embracing her true self. A champion for herself, for the LGBTQ community, and for victims and survivors everywhere. A woman who will never be silenced again.
Inspired by Sam’s Story?
We need your support to achieve our mission of helping more women like her to discover the power of their voice.
Your generous contribution will ensure we can keep fighting for survivors and women everywhere, and help give them the tools to tell their story in order to inspire lasting change in their community and around the world.
It’s time to shed the stigma, shame, and blame and change the story about domestic abuse.
It’s time to #HearHerRoar.
We are a registered UK Charity. Donate to our #HearHerRoar crowdfunder campaign or donate directly through our donorbox, whichever moves you!
Thank you to all the volunteers and donors who helped make Sam’s story come to life:
Stephanie Goldfinger: Photography and Creative Direction
Roxy van der Post: Videography and Editing
My Lady Garden: Floral Design
Grace Hatcher: Hair and Makeup
Daria Szotek: Behind the Scenes Photography
Natalia Kaluza: Production Assistance and Marketing
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