At 12 years old, I joined my neighborhood swim team, the Waterford Waverunners. That same summer, Morgan and I were placed on the same relay team. We spent years swimming side by side, becoming great friends along the way. Of course, there was always a little flirting and a few late nights spent stargazing at the park. When Morgan left for college in 2017 to swim and study at Birmingham Southern in Alabama, we stayed close despite the distance. For years, we kept in touch, talking often and spending time together during the Holiday breaks. Then, in 2020, when Morgan moved back home during the COVID shutdown, we picked up right where we left off, only this time, something had clearly changed. We spent nearly every day together, and before long, we went on our first date at Asuka. Soon after, Morgan returned to Birmingham for her senior year, but we made long distance feel easy with daily FaceTime calls and regular visits. In May, I drove down for her graduation, and soon after, she moved back to Lexington to begin Physical Therapy school at UK. During this time, we both continued pursuing our shared passion for coaching at Waterford while building our careers. I graduated from UK in 2023 and began working as a product designer, and a year later, Morgan graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and started her career as a pediatric physical therapist. Not long after, we moved into our first townhome together with our two amazing pals, Tobey and Clifford. And in the summer that followed, I asked Morgan to be my wife right where it all began, at the Waterford pool. A former swimmer captured the moment, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.