Vivienne and Chris' relationship was born out of the unusual circumstances of the pandemic. Vivienne had recently moved to Pullman to start her faculty position with WSU. Chris was temporarily living in Moscow, ID with family and was working remotely for his job in Virginia. Flipping through an online dating app both were struck by their shared passions - hiking, running, and a positive outlook on life. After two dates, Chris decided to reevaluate the temporary nature of his stay. He returned for a third date and shortly thereafter both were living together and madly in love.

Vivienne inspired Chris to give ultrarunning a shot, and the two decided to run a 50k race together in the remote desert of western Colorado. The race was beautiful and tough, with grueling climbs and sheer drop-offs along the trail. Vivienne didn't know it, but Chris carried the engagement ring in his hydration vest for all 31 miles. After they both finished in one piece and in good spirits, Chris told Vivienne that a photographer could take an end-of-race photo for them. After scouting out a beautiful spot by the river and taking a couple of shots, Chris got down on one knee and asked Vivienne to spend the rest of their lives together. Vivienne couldn't be happier or more excited to be Chris' partner forever.