Adrienne proves that fun and fitness go hand in hand, and creating personal challenges keeps life exciting. Whether it is open-water butterfly swimming, a 24-hour jump rope challenge, or even buying seven cucumbers to make different cucumber dishes for each day of the week;

Enjoy the journey, appreciate those around you, be consistent, and use plenty of lube on those swimsuit straps.

A Blessing in Disguise

Growing up, Adrienne couldn’t participate in gym class due to suffering two dislocated kneecaps at a young age. However, blessings are often disguised.

After surgery at 13, she battled an infection that only chlorine seemed to heal.

To spend more time in the pool, she signed up as the high school swim team manager. One day, she filled in for a backstroke relay, did great despite not knowing the rules, and soon used study halls and gym periods to swim.

Her passion for swimming was born; however, she could have never imagined what it would turn into.

A Day in the Life

Fast forward to Adrienne’s adult life where we see the definition of self-motivation, prioritization, and making the most out of every single day. As a manual physical therapist, she’s passionate about helping clients move more efficiently (a pretty ideal complement to her active lifestyle).

Her day begins in the middle of the night for most of us, waking up at 4:25 am to get a workout or swim in with the Master’s Swim Team.

At work, Adrienne takes pride in being intentional with every movement, helping her clients improve mobility while pushing herself and planning how she will continue to grow daily. Evenings are reserved for quality time with her wife, a neighborhood walk, and a relaxing dinner.

Weekends are for mastering her craft. Saturdays often mean 2-4 hour swims in the lake or river, followed by Sunday trail runs to take in Asheville’s natural beauty.

Open Water Swimming - An Unordinary Gift

Not many swimmers take on the challenge of open-water butterfly. Adrienne is currently training to become the first person ever to complete the Triple Crown of races on the Tennessee River—all in butterfly.

As a young adult competing in triathlons, Adrienne realized she didn’t enjoy open-water freestyle. Instead of pushing through something she didn’t love, she made the choice to switch to butterfly.

It began with a half-mile swim and led to longer distances—from 5 miles in St. Croix to 10 miles in the Tennessee River. For her, it’s about finding a rhythm and losing herself in the flow.

Adrienne tackles the mental grind of long swims by doing everything she can not to overthink. She’s even admits to resorting to trying to convert temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius using mental math to keep her mind from wandering.

Bonding Through Unconventional Challenges:

Adrienne loves competing in open-water butterfly, but some of her favorite moments are spent creating and executing unique challenges with her wife.

For them, life is about pushing limits and strengthening their bond through fun, unconventional challenges. Whether it’s a 24-hour kettlebell challenge where the weight can’t be set down, 1,000 jump rope jumps every hour for a day, or walking 26 miles to a neighboring town, their household is never short on excitement.

Adrienne firmly believes that exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, but rather an exciting opportunity to try fun and fresh experiences.

A Philosophy of Fun and Fitness

Adrienne emphasizes the importance of nutrition, sleep, and prioritization, but it’s her unconventional approach and attitude towards fitness and fun that truly stands out.

Being silly and creating challenges keeps life fresh. The key is enjoyment—if the activity doesn’t spark joy, find something that does.