Our love story began in grad school at East Carolina University, where Alec was knee-deep in his PhD research and Sam was working on her Master's. We met on the same floor and hit it off instantly! Our first date was a marathon three-hour chat at Starbucks, and we've been inseparable ever since. Bonding over our mutual love for science and working out, we became a power couple—literally! Alec was training for powerlifting competitions, and Sam jumped in to join him. In June 2021, we both snagged gold medals at our first competition together.

We took the plunge and moved in together in August 2021 in the research triangle, and our family grew with the addition of our three adorable cats: Rav, Rigs, and Rambo.

Alec popped the question at the Steam restaurant in Wilmington, NC, with our friends and family there to celebrate with us. We love how effortlessly we get along and how much fun and laughter we share every day. Life together is truly a blast!