Connect How did your love story begin?

We weren’t a whirlwind—we were a slow burn. Best friends first. Two years of late-night talks and showing up long before “I love you.” A Marine with visible wounds. A bipolar creative with invisible ones. We both know what it means to fight for your life—and keep choosing it. Seven years in, we’re newly married and wild about each other. Not because it was easy, but because we built it real—on trust, grit, and love that holds space for every shadow.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

Before we were us, I was the first person he called to say he made the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. Years later, I watched him in the 2022 Beijing Paralympics—gold in hand, fire in his eyes. That moment held everything: grit, edge, and the quiet truth that our love was never built for ease. It was built to endure. We rose together—through what nearly broke us—and built a love that never asked us to shrink to survive.

What would you do with $20,000?

We’d put it toward land and build a legacy—a senior dog sanctuary, a rescue farm, a place for veterans to hunt and heal. We’ve fostered 46 dogs, adopted 6, and we’re just getting started. I’d build a studio and event space for creatives and couples who love loud. It wouldn’t just be property—it’d be proof that love can leave a mark. We’re here to take up space—and make it matter.