Strong By Choice 

We may not be able to choose the life that we were born into, grown up with or the struggle that seems to find us, but we can choose to let every minor and major event be a steppingstone into our brightest future. 

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Hi, I am Gabriella Pena the Creator of Strong By Choice

My story is on its way into a book as I write this, but for now, I'll provide some of the high touch points of my life.

I was born in the year of 1990 mid-summer in Redding Ca, to an Indigenous man of the Wintu Tribe Middle of the McCloud River Mt. Shasta and a European decent woman. This is where it all began. As a biracial young woman, I struggled with my self-identity. I could only pass as anything other than white. I might be called, Asian, Indian, Native American, and Mexican. Growing up I heard negative connotations of what it meant to be Indian. Indians prayed to heathen gods, received money from the casino, were drunks and drug addicts, as well as bad parents and obese. I rejected all of it because if I were any of it that meant that I was all of it. Fastforward 13 years later and I walked my own healing journey. I no longer shy away from my Indigenous features and fully embrace the ways of my ancestors including restoring our once lost language. I am a proud Wintu woman born to a proud Wintu man. His legacy lives on in myself and our children.

In the year of 1996 my family moved into a small town and attended a small church that had a small private school that all four of us children attended. From the age of 6 - 17 we were all under the leadership of a man with the title pastor that we would eventually press charges against and see him receive a prison sentence. Little did I know his influence on my young life would affect me until the age of 28. 

Three days after my 18th birthday I married my high school sweetheart. In 2010 we had our first daughter and in 2011 our second. During our visit to our family home just after our second daughter was born, we were shot at. Myself, two inches from the bullet, shrapnel of the door in my daughter's bassinet while she was sleeping and our oldest in my husband's hands while we were outside caused immediate relocation for the entire family. (To this day the person has never been caught) In 2012 my husband and I divorced each other. The relationship was toxic, and this is where I didn't know it yet, but my past was creeping up on me. 

An unhealed version of me met another man and I soon became in a serious relationship with what was familiar but equally toxic if not more. I would soon find myself with a baby boy and relocating with my family halfway across the US from Texas - Oregon. I became the manager of our local Food Bank in Aug of 2018 and in the beginning of 2019, I decided to leave the unhealthy relationship realizing that there was no way I could heal my past and be a good example to my children while staying. In the end of April of 2019 our daughter turned 9, the beginning of May of 2019 she was suddenly diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure (aka kidney disease). She started dialysis immediately and then was placed on a kidney transplant list. In June of 2019 I finalized the leave from my then husband. Learning how to be a single parent, learning how to do daily at home dialysis for my daughter and learning how to heal was the way I spent the rest of that year. 

Then 2020 came along and as a manger to the local Food Bank (largest in the two-county region) we were in the midst of a crisis and still chose to rise to the occasion. As the healing continued, learning to unfamiliarize myself with unhealthy was intentional. I had the opportunity to see a beautiful friendship grow into a beautiful, loving, kind and gentle partnership. Amongst the response to the sudden Pandemic, children being immediately homeschooled, and still doing at home dialysis we were adjusting to the new norms. 2021 though, it had a way of building me up and then tearing me down. In April I started training for a bodybuilding competition that would take place in July. In the beginning of July our oldest received her call for a new kidney. Beautiful things!! Unfortunately, her body went into immediate rejection, and she would need 3 days a week infusion in the oncology department on the PED's floor.  Thankfully the infusions worked, and she is stabilized with her antirejection meds now. In August our local Food Bank was unfortunately set fire, and this caused immediate mobilization of a drive through Food Bank until we could relocate.

In Nov of 2021 the day after Thanksgiving my dad suddenly left his physical body. Heartbroken, devasted, unrelentless in the wondering of why. 

August 31st of 2022 would be my last day as the manager of the local Food Bank, as I retired to pursue the path that I have been given. 

Strong By Choice, was created because I was given the gift of struggle, with the strength to press forward. I refuse to let these life challenges define me but instead allow them to exist as teachers and use the lessons wisely. Strong By Choice is here to celebrate the continuation of moving forward in life. Strong By Choice is understanding that we may not have any control over what life gives us, but we have the ability to decide what we do with it. 

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Success Story 

Strong By Choice was Created in Jan of 2021

I learned the beauty of my individuality. 

I've learned I have special gifts and in nurturing them I have learned that that everyone has special gifts.

I learned that I am stronger than I could have ever imagined and so is everyone else.

I have learned that I am the answer to my ancestors' prayers and so is everyone else.

I have learned that healing takes time and the more shoved down we keep it the more explosive the release will be. 

I have learned that coming back to my roots helps me to understand why I am the way I am.

I have learned that connection with the human soul is worth more than any money can ever afford.

I have learned that peace is more valuable than money and being present with faith is the key to peace.

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