'Life changing': Anti-bullying advocate Lynelle Cantwell shares leadership conference experience

When Lynelle Cantwell went public with her story of cyberbullying last December, she never dreamed it would change her life.

• 'Ugliest girls' poll: Student's response to cyberbullying goes viral
• Positive reaction to Torbay teen's post triumphs hateful 'ugliest girls' poll

But that's exactly what happened to the teenager from Torbay, after her shot back at the anonymous attackers who placed her on an 'ugliest girls' poll at her high school landed her a free trip to a national youth conference in Ontario.

"It was life changing. It was probably one of the best experiences of my entire life," Cantwell told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show upon her return from the Count Me In Leadership Summit.

"I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was, like I never opened up in a way before to strangers. I knew these people for four days and they know everything about me," she said about the camp, held May 20 to 23.

Shane Feldman, the founder of Count Me In Canada, a youth-led organization that promotes leadership and volunteering, offered Cantwell the trip after her story went viral.

• Lynelle Cantwell's response to 'ugliest girls' poll earns Torbay teen trip to Toronto

Self confidence boost

The four-day summit featured workshops and leadership sessions, and not just on bullying.

"It pretty much covered every topic that a regular teenager would struggle with," Cantwell said.

"I'm going to take away friendships, memories, I'm going to take away more confidence. I feel way better about myself now than before I even left," she said.

Her summit T-shirt, emblazoned with personal messages, is a reminder.

'Every time I read it, it just makes me happy."

Cantwell said her story preceded her, with many summit participants recognizing her.

"It was pretty cool actually, I'm not going to lie," she said. 

"But what I liked about it is, some people also didn't know who I was, so they got to know me for my personality and not my story."

Future plans

Cantwell feels well-equipped to incorporate the summit's positivity back into her regular life.

"I'm going to try to bring as much of what I learned up there, back here," she said, adding she plans to attend the 2017 summit.

Luckily, Cantwell said the bullying at her school has subsided.

"I have seen a change at my school. People are more positive, I find, and we're doing a lot more activities to try and highlight the effects of bullying."

Cantwell can now focus on the normal trials and tribulations of a teenager: passing her final exams, so she can graduate this June.