My name is Sherri, known to my childhood friends and family as Sharon. I've gone through many life-altering situations, yet, I’m still holding on and am here to share pieces of me, with you. Why am I sharing portions of my journey? Because out of my brokenness, God can, and God will use me to make someone else whole. Back in the mid to late ’80s, I experienced what is known today as TDV – Teen Dating Violence. Because I witnessed my mom and grandmother suffer from domestic violence and never spoke against it or their abusers when the first time I was slammed to the ground, kicked, punched, and beaten as if I was a formidable opponent who stood a chance against the young man who days earlier had professed his love for me.
I had no idea when he allowed me to get up from the ground and told me to leave his backyard, I was supposed to do just that and never look back nor come back. Life had a way of teaching me lessons I refused to learn the first time around. After 3 years with “Dre” and support from family and good girlfriends, I walked away from him and into the arms of “Steven”. The abuse inflicted by “Dre” was verbal, emotional, and physical. With “Steven” it was 90% physical and lasted a year. Through those tumultuous years, I knew that many people knew what I was enduring. Knowing that, I often thought; what man would want me? The answer was - the one sent by God himself!
The Old Me Before Domestic Violence
The New Me After Domestic Violence
The New Me
By the Grace of God
Because God wanted me to know what it felt like to be truly and unconditionally loved by a man, He created a MAN just for me! That man was (William) and we married in 1991. Eventually, our careers began to flourish, we purchased our home, began eating well, and ultimately, the happiness ‘weight’ landed on the lower half of my body. By 2010, I was my heaviest to date and needed to do something. After working out on my own, with little success, I hired a personal trainer. With Earl’s guidance, over the course of 8 months, I looked and felt great. By September 2011, our time together had come to an end, but another client mentioned Tadda’s Fitness Camp to me. I found LaTasha’s (owner of T.F.C.) location and with that, my forever fitness home. Through T.F.C., I was introduced to running. Twenty-twelve was the year I participated in my first 5k race. Since then, I have run many 5k’s, several 10k’s, 2-15k’s, a few relays, and 3-half marathons. Because I now have arthritis in both knees, my doctor has strongly advised I retire from running races and running on the pavement altogether. The words concerning my long-term prognosis devastated me, but in the winter of 2019, I was introduced to weight-lifting. I know when something is removed, God allows something else to fill the void left open. I can now say, the passion I had for running, has been transferred to lifting weights. However, there are still days, weeks, and months I struggle to eat right and exercise regularly. The beauty is that each day God blesses me to wake up, and I get another opportunity to try to be better than the day before. Being broken spiritually, physically, and emotionally takes time, work, and dedication, to heal and become whole again. Currently, I work at a shelter for homeless women and children. In April 2016, I became a Widow. To date, I use my voice and platform to motivate others and I never hesitate when asked to speak and share my Journey. By the grace of God, I am so blessed!
