In August of 2022, Dylan and Eli showed up at the NC State Cycling Club interest meeting. Eli, fresh off graduating from NC State where he served as the president of the club, was just there to help out the new leadership. He wasn’t sure what to make of Dylan and her bright pink helmet and glasses, especially since she was still getting the hang of cycling after just a short time of doing triathlons. Dylan, on the other hand, had limited cycling experience and definitely didn’t have the best bike handling skills, but she was hooked on the community.

Dylan started showing up for the club’s weekly Friday morning "Jubala" ride—a 22-mile loop with a stop at a local coffee shop for free espresso and yummy breakfast. With many riders showing up each week, Dylan and Eli saw each other often but didn’t think much of it. The first memorable interaction they had was when Dylan splotched a blueberry from her waffle onto Eli's wallet. Awkwardly, Eli said "Looks like your blueberry got on my wallet." Dylan responded, "I'm so sorry" and went about her business.

One October night, the cycling club gathered for dinner at Guasaca, and for the first time, Dylan and Eli connected outside of their riding gear. Dylan realized how charming Eli was in a non-cycling environment, and Eli was captivated by Dylan's authenticity and ambition in life. A few days later, Dylan drove to Winston-Salem to watch Eli race, which sparked her interest in cyclocross racing. She spontaneously bought a cyclocross bike, and from that point on, they started taking road trips together, spending hours getting to know each other better.

In December 2022, Dylan and Eli went on their first mountain trip together to Wintergreen, Virginia. After attempting to hike Three Ridges but finding the conditions too icy, they wandered the Blue Ridge Parkway instead, just enjoying the beauty of nature and each other’s company. It was then that Eli realized how much he cared for Dylan. Later that day, Dylan and Eli decided to make it official and start dating.

The months that followed were filled with church on Thursday nights, road trips, races, and adventures together—everything from bike races to car camping and long day hikes. Eli even threw away his pride and participated in his first triathlon. By the summer, Dylan and Eli were exploring the beautiful mountains of Banner Elk, and in the fall, they raced a full cyclocross season together.

In the spring of 2024, Dylan graduated college and spent two months with her church, including a life-changing mission trip to Kenya. Eli also went on his own adventure, racing bikes in Belgium for three weeks. Though the time apart was difficult, it only deepened their connection, and by the end of the summer, they began talking seriously about marriage.

That September, Dylan and Eli drove out to Illinois together, where Eli helped Dylan get settled in for 3 months of work training, before flying back home to Raleigh. They made some amazing memories during that time, especially when Eli visited Dylan in Arizona, and they hiked Mt. Lemmon together. While Dylan was in Peoria, Eli began shopping for rings and when Dylan returned to North Carolina, Eli knew exactly how he wanted to propose—back at Wintergreen, where everything had started.

Eli planned a 14-mile hike, and four miles in, at a beautiful overlook, they stopped for a snack break. That’s when Eli turned to Dylan, got on one knee, and asked her to marry him as she was munching on her pretzels and peanut butter. Without hesitation, she said yes. Now, Dylan and Eli are counting down the days to October 18, 2025, when they'll start they're biggest adventure yet— marriage!