The story of how Kyle and Julia's relationship began often starts with questions like, "How did it start?" "Who made the first move?" or "Who chased whom?"

The spark of attraction ignited around 2017 at Pacific Lutheran University, where both Julia and Kyle were completing their bachelor’s degrees. Somehow, fate brought Julia, a communications major, and Kyle, a business major, to the same kinesiology-based Team Building class. During a game of tag, Julia chased Kyle around the gym, much like a schoolgirl chasing her crush on the playground. Kyle, who was the assistant coach for the Men’s Golf Team at the time, knew Julia was a student-athlete on the PLU Women’s Basketball team. He decided to shoot his shot by asking her to shoot hoops at Memorial Gymnasium.

If you know either of them, you know how competitive they can be, and soon, shooting hoops turned into a game of one-on-one. The wager? The loser buys ice cream. Needless to say, Kyle ended up buying Julia ice cream at the end of their first date, and the rest is history.

Now, more than seven years later, Kyle and Julia are both Physical Education teachers in Tacoma, Washington, where they watch their students chase each other around the gym. Though seven years may seem like a long time, it has flown by in the blink of an eye. Together, they’ve experienced much of what life has to offer—adventure, accomplishment, and companionship—as well as fragility and unpredictability.

Graduate school, job changes, and van rebuilds (Shoutout Earl!). Taking planes, trains, and automobiles. New friends, old friends, and watching others fall in love. Gaining new family and losing loved ones. 5Ks, relay races, and marathons. Summer hikes, camping trips, and outdoor concerts. Birthdays, holidays, and even the Tuesdays. Weekends in Whitefish and Ocean Shores for riding bikes, skiing slopes, playing golf, and digging clams. Through it all, many laughs, several tears, and even a few toots...

In such a short amount of time, Julia and Kyle have created a lifetime’s worth of memories together. At the core of their relationship is a strong friendship, built on mutual respect and admiration. It's no surprise that this team of two started in a team-building class.

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