Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Hidalgo
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started Staying strong with Cynthia while living in Scottsdale, Arizona, when I was living in my abusive relationship, just on Instagram. I was with my partner for 18 years, and we have 3 children together. 04/19/2020 was my first post, and it was when I hit rock bottom mentally and emotionally. I was having suicidal thoughts while trying to stay strong all at once for my 3 children. They were my only reason to keep going, yet I felt like they weren’t due to my 2 sons’ behavior towards me due to their fathers’ actions and manipulation. My daughter was my strength in the end. July 2020, I went to jail after striking my husband at the time, now ex-husband. The police, of course, did not know the history we had; they just had to do their job and take me in. It was reactive abuse for me. The accusations my sons had towards me was that I was attempting suicide and I needed to be placed in a psychiatric hospital. The ambulance and correctional officers took me to Paradise Valley Hospital for further examination due to these accusations. Where, of course, realized that I was clean from all drugs and alcohol but was then sent to Las Colinas Detention Facility where I spent 1 week. My biggest fear was my ex-husband having the authority to take my daughter back to Arizona with him. I was fortunate enough that her fear to go with him when he went to pick her up at my parents’ house with the police, didn’t allow for him to take her. My parents just wanted to get me a lawyer and get me out as soon as possible. I was stubborn enough to say I could get myself out because I got myself in here for not leaving this relationship sooner. I went days without my antidepressants that I had been prescribed in AZ from my therapist, which made it harder to concentrate cause I was on a pretty high dosage for depression and anxiety. It didn’t stop me from writing letters to the booking department and detention facility Psychiatrist, explaining my innocence, how I needed to get back to my children and put back on my meds as soon as possible. I begged for a public defender. Within the next day of submitting my letters, I received a call from a lawyer who guaranteed my freedom. After that, I started writing to myself and promised to go all out with life as I should have and help those in need going through similar situations that I had and would be facing. It was hard and so overwhelming at times, but I couldn’t give up on myself and my kids anymore. Me ending up in jail was my eye-opener, and I never looked back again. All I could do was move forward with what was next to come. I was fighting for custody, going through divorce, seeking therapy for myself and daughter, asking for all government help that I could find with resources that were given to me by the health and human services agency. I chose to get closer to God and teach my daughter those ways as well. While going through this mess, I had my ex-husband tormenting me with his calls and having my sons call me to say horrible things. I knew I couldn’t let it get to me.
As time went by, I kept posting on Instagram about my feelings and getting positive remarks from people I didn’t know and thanking me for putting it out there. It was just fueling me. That’s when Maribel King from Embracing My Markings found me and reached out, asking if I was willing to speak my story on her podcast. I was honored, I said this is my chance to get this out worldwide. Sure enough, I’ve expanded so much more from there. I focus on Domestic violence, teen dating violence, and parental alienation. After all, I went through every type of abuse you can imagine throughout my 18 years of being with my ex. July 4, 2022, staying strong with Cynthia website launched and also thanks to Maribel King for believing in me, she created my whole website. I’ve spoken at Chula Vista High School, helped women through the San Diego rescue mission, spoke my story on whgfilms, chicas and Chisme podcast, barbershop confidential podcast, The Garden Keeper for teen dating violence awareness month, San Diego State University in Coach Heidi’s self-defense class, Victoria’s karate class at Tesoro for motivation and inspiration on her student’s karate competition, Lindsay Community School, San Pasqual Academy, Alliance regional solutions for the 2023 justice impacted summit, interviewed by fox 5 San Diego during a Domestic violence event in Bonita, California and I have a few more events lined up like a self-defense workshop with Gallegos Jiu Jitsu and share my story with Soluna wellness.
Throughout this process, I chose to go back to school and graduated from UCSD to change my career. I’ve always had a passion for boxing, and I chose to set a goal to travel and get as many fights as I can within 1 year. I was undefeated 6-0 and became Southern California’s welterweight champ in 2023. I was able to travel out of state for championships and get 12 fights in for the year. It was such an amazing experience. I love to share my journey to motivate and inspire that anyone can get out of the bad they may be living or what they’ve lived. They can’t let past actions consume their future. As of now, my sons still don’t talk to me, we’re going on 4 years now. All I can do is continue to pray and hope that one day, God enters their heart and they accept me back into their lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggle of not being able to gain full custody of my sons was the biggest heartache. Unfortunately, even after the courts realized that they were being alienated from me, there was not much they can do due to me living out of state, and they refusing reunification therapy with me wasn’t helping the situation; my daughter had a rough 2 years with her emotions as they refuse to talk to her as well. Although she was in constant therapy, she struggled so much, even with focusing on school, she was diagnosed with anxiety and ptsd. She was too young for me to tell her that they just didn’t want anything to do with her because of me.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am now a professional safety and health officer and authorized outreach trainer in the general industry, and I focus mainly on dental offices as now due to my experience of as an orthodontic assistant for the last 20 years. Dental offices are my strength, and I teach their OSHA classes. I’m also a Domestic Violence advocate and expanding in any way I can.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I’d love to write a book on my story to explain every detail, e-book and hardcover. I also see myself expanding in giving OSHA classes in different states and countries, whether I travel to make it a vacation while I’m at it or even Zoom classes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stayingstrongwithcynthia.com
- Instagram: @sswcynthia
- Facebook: Staying Strong W/ Cynthia
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/6CfM0nStXyQ?si=1dlJqcX2ZAQ4sSBa
Image Credits
@shot.by.fabi
