Richard Shelden is involved with Start Strong Idaho because he wants to teach others about the warning signs of an abusive relationship. Richard has had many friends who were victimized by abusive relationships. He believes that if he had known the signs, he could have stopped the abuse beforehand. Richard knows that his work with Start Strong Idaho will teach him how to inform people about the warning signs abuse. He believes that with this knowledge people will be able to stop relationship abuse in its tracks. 

Richard was chosen to be a teen representative of Start Strong Idaho because of his outgoing personality and his ability to work well with a group of diverse people.

Richard is the secretary of the teen conference for the state of Idaho. With this position he is responsible for helping teens find relationships that are best suited for them. Richard is also an active leader of social issues in his community through his church and national / state conventions.