You gotta respect Elin Nordegren for her strength. The estranged wife of Tiger Woods has been through hell and back. And yet beneath her soft features and graceful persona, this woman proves to be made of something tougher.

For months people waited for her to talk about her marriage and the scandal which ruined the life she always wanted to have. And now that her divorce is final, she decided to break her silence on an interview which is her first, as well as last.

“I have been through the stages of disbelief and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss of the family I so badly wanted for my children,” she said.

Elin also admitted she actually thought she was the only woman in Tiger’s life. So you can imagine her shock when she found out with the rest of the world Tiger’s secret life and and his affairs with many women.

But she’s not one to give up. Elin plans to keep studying Psychology and concentrate on raising their two kids.

After everything she’s been through, Elin is proud to say “I also feel stronger than I ever have. I have confidence in my beliefs, my decisions and myself.”

Read Elin’s interview on the latest issue of People, on newsstands Friday.

Thanks to People.