Max and I met in 2012 at UW-La Crosse. I saw Max on my first day during move-in day at Eagle Hall. I remember thinking he was the most attractive human I'd ever seen and couldn't believe my luck that he was a RA in my hall. Max was the RA on the 3rd floor, and I was a resident on the 2nd floor. I transferred to UW-La Crosse to study Exercise Science, and Max was about to graduate with his degree in Exercise Science. Max showed me around the gyms on campus and stopped to talk with me while I was working the front desk and he was doing his nightly RA rounds. We connected over lifting, and he offered advice about the degree program. Max was kind and helped me fit into campus. After that year, we went our separate ways. Max graduated, and I transferred schools. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. In 2016, I moved to Madison for a job. One of my first priorities was to find an olympic-lifting gym in my new home. After touring multiple gyms, I looked Max up on Facebook to see if he knew of any gyms. I saw that Max worked at a gym in Fitchburg called FIT and they offered weightlifting classes. When I walked into FIT for my first time, Max remembered who I was. Max coached the weightlifting team, and I couldn't believe my luck that I got to see him again. The gym was an important place for me and helped me feel established in my new home when I moved to Madison. It felt right that Max was there to offer advice and teach me how to lift in this new transition time in my life just like he had at UW-La Crosse. We reconnected over lifting, and in 2019, after our friendship grew, we started dating. We still love lifting together, watching horror movies, and being outdoors. We can't wait to get married and start a new chapter in our lives!