The meaning of 強くあろうと意識した in this context


Context: One character said to the MC that she only felt herself truly become
strong since the day she met her Master. Then she said this to confirm that
again (maybe?):

> **そのときからだな、強くあろうと意識したのは**

I'm not sure about the meaning of this sentence, my guesses are:

  1. It must be from that day, that I'm aware of myself being strong

  2. [.....], that I know I have to try to become strong

If my understanding was wrong, please help me understand the correct meaning!
Thanks o/

* * *

_Edit_ : forgot to add the full context so here it is:

MC wants to help the people in this world (he has been isekai'd and there's a
war here)

Then he talked to this character (A-san), and A-san talking about the fact
that she only felt herself truly become strong since the day she met her
Master (T-sama).

> MC「A-sanは強そうだね」
>
> A-san「腕には昔から自信があったが、真に強くなれたと思えたのは、T-samaと出会ってからだな」
>
> MC 「それは？」
>
> A-san 「力を持つことの理由や使い方を示してくださったのがT-samaだ」
>
> A-san「ゆえに、私とBはT-samaのために戦い、夢を叶える後押しをしようと決めた」 (B is her friend, T-sama's
> dream is to end war and bring true peace to everyone)
>
> **A-san「そのときからだな、強くあろうと意識したのは」 ( >>here is the line I was wondering about)**

* * *

_Edit 2_ : added the sentences following the bolded line:

> MC 「俺と同じだ」
>
> A-san 「自惚れるな。私はまだお前を完全に信用したわけではないからな」
>
> A-san 「……話が長くなってしまった。私も少し休ませてもらうとしよう」




Technically it is an inverted cleft sentence (I don't know this is the correct
term).

Consider the non-inverted version: 強くあろうと意識したのはそのときからだな, which has the same
structure as

  * はじめてアメリカに行ったのは18歳の時です _It was when I was 18 years old that I went to the US for the first time_.

So the sentence should be translated as _It was since then that (I)
強くあろうと意識した._

Now あろう here is ある +
[う](https://www.kokugobunpou.com/%E5%8A%A9%E5%8B%95%E8%A9%9E/%E3%81%86-%E3%82%88%E3%81%86/#gsc.tab=0),
meaning _try to be(come)_ and 意識する means something along the lines of "obj. is
got awareness in subj's mind". So the whole phrase means literally _I got
aware that I will try to be strong_. More idiomatically, it means _I started
making conscious efforts to become strong_.

Cf. [A dictionary](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%84%8F%E8%AD%98-30519) has the
following definition (closest would be ロ):

> ③ (━する) 何事かを気にとめること。
>
> (イ) 心に悟ること。わかること。また考えること。
>
> (ロ) ある意図をもってすること。
>
> (ハ) 自分やまわりのようすがどうなっているかに気づくこと。
>
> (ニ) 特別にある人や物事を気にかけること。

* * *

BTW, I think you could try to add a bit more of your current
grammatical/lexical understanding, so that the question clarifies exactly what
part of the sentence poses difficulty. I understand it is not always possible
but just a suggestion.

