She was chained inside Cleveland 's 'house of horrors ' for almost 10 years - the longest of the three women who were kidnapped , imprisoned and abused by Ariel Castro . But Michelle Knight , who appeared at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center 's Faces of Change Luncheon on Wednesday , refuses to be considered a victim . ' I don ’ t want my heart to be chained to the situations that I went through , ' she told the crowd of 1,200 people . ' I want to overcome and flourish and rise above all that . ' Scroll down for videos . No victim : Michelle Knight , seen here appearing at at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center 's Faces of Change Luncheon on Wednesday , said her healing process has been 'to overcome and flourish and rise above ' Standing ovation : Knight received a rapturous applause as she came on stage to give a speech . Speaking out : Michelle Knight , who was held captive by Ariel Castro for more than a decade , spoke Wednesday at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center Faces of Change Luncheon . Part of that flourishing , it seems , is a new relationship . According to Fox 8 Cleveland , Knight was signing copies of her book , Finding Me : A Decade of Darkness , a Life Reclaimed , after the event , when she revealed to readers that she does has a boyfriend . Knight did not reveal anymore about the man in her life , but said she feels comfortable sharing her story , because it can give others 'the same courage , hope and faith that I had ' . She has a second book that she is working on based on what has become of her life since being rescued from Castro 's house on May 6 , 2013 . Amanda Berry managed to escape from the house with her six-year-old daughter , with a neighbor calling police . Knight and the third victim , Georgina 'Gina ' DeJesus , were then rescued . House of Horrors : After almost 10 years chained up inside , Michelle Knight and the two other women imprisoned in this Cleveland , Ohio , house by Ariel Castro were freed on May 6 , 2013 . Fans : While signing copies of her memoir , Finding Me : A Decade of Darkness , a Life Reclaimed , after the event , when she revealed to readers that she does has a boyfriend . Castro pleaded guilty to 937 criminal counts of rape , kidnapping , and aggravated murder as part of a plea bargain and was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years . However , less than one month into the sentence , he hanged himself using the bed sheets in his cell . During the talk at Wednesday 's luncheon , Knight mentioned Castro , saying he too had been abused and did not seek help . 'My healing process is going forward , ' Knight said . ' I ’ m starting to be more free now ; I ’ m able to talk about it without crying . ' The luncheon raised a record $ 254,000 for the center , which counsels rape survivors . Celebrity support : Knight is pictured here with Orange Is The New Black star Taryn Manning . According to Cleveland.com , one in every five Ohio women has been raped . The center helped 18,000 people last year , and representatives on Wednesday urged more rape victims to come forward . Knight also revealed she has recorded a song called Survivor , which she says will be released in May . She is also learning to play the piano . Her second book is centered around a journal she writes in each day while sitting outside each morning .
Knight appeared at Faces of Change Luncheon the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center 's on Wednesday . She received a standing ovation as the spoke to a crowd of 1,200 . ' I want to overcome and flourish and rise above all that , ' she said of ordeal . Afterwards she revealed she is in a relationship and writing a second book .