Lena’s Strong Game

Storytelling and Short Stories from Art Borups Corners and The Arts Incubator Winnipeg Storytelling Club

What if your greatest strength felt like your biggest secret? Published by Art Borups Corners and The Arts Incubator Winnipeg, Lena’s Strong Game introduces Lena, a soccer star with powerful legs that propel her across the field. But despite her talent, Lena feels deeply self-conscious about her strong body, hiding her legs and holding back her true potential. She longs for thin legs like the other girls, letting shyness dim her otherwise bright game.

Then Rory arrives, a new teammate who also feels shy and is quickly targeted for being different. Witnessing his hurt, Lena sees a reflection of her own struggles with body image and self-worth. Can Lena find the courage to embrace her unique strength, both on and off the field? Will she learn that true power comes from within, and that celebrating your own body can inspire others to do the same?

This inspiring story champions the dignity of the self, reminding young readers that every body is a strong body, and that empathy and self-acceptance are the most powerful plays of all. Perfect for anyone learning to love themselves exactly as they are.

ISBN: 978-1-0698063-7-6

About the Author

Eva Suluk is an interdisciplinary artist and storyteller whose work is deeply rooted in the land. Her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. She is a founding member of The Arts Incubator Winnipeg and Art Borups Corners collectives. An accomplished hunter, filmmaker, and traditional drum dancer, Eva weaves together the ancient and the modern in her art. She finds her greatest inspiration and stories while spending time on the land, where her hunting adventures and love for her culture guide her creative spirit.

Supporting Storytelling and the Arts in Northwestern Ontario

The Art Borups Corners Storytelling Club library celebrates the incredible creativity and talent of our local Northern Ontario community. This special program ran in the summer of 2025, supported by the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program, The Arts Incubator Winnipeg Hub, Ottawa-based Global Dignity Canada, and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Creative Entrepreneurship Program. We extend heartfelt thanks to the Local Services Board of Melgund and the many community members, artists, and creators who made this program possible.

About the Author

Art Borups Corners

Administrator

Art Borup’s Corners is a northern arts incubator based in Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario, where community-led creativity, land-based practice, and digital innovation come together. Rooted in the cultural rhythms of the boreal forest and shaped by years of grassroots organizing across Ontario, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Minnesota, Borup’s Corners supports artists, youth, and community members through participatory storytelling, climate-focused projects, and creative entrepreneurship. From wild blueberry walks to immersive exhibitions and applied AI research, our seasonal programs and artist residencies foster connection, skill-building, and self-determined expression—all grounded in place, culture, and care.

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