In 2022, ever enterprising Kurt, created a non-profit organization called MetaFit with a mission to provide free training to military members, veterans, firefighters and cops. Toward the end of the same year, news of this inspiring charity reached the lovely hands of one Nebraskan native, Corrina Bartels, by means of her cellular device and the magic of Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger's creation - Instagram. She had stumbled - or shall we say was divinely led? - to the Instagram account of one of Kurt's civilian clients who was making tremendous progress in the gym (as is not uncommon for any trainee of this entrepreneur) and who mentioned on one of her stories that Kurt loves his veteran community and thus trains them for free. Corrina, soon to retire from the Air Force after 20 years of devoted service with the National Guard Reserves, was looking for a way to stay fit-to-fight, as the phrase goes, beginning this new chapter of her life. Kurt seemed like a promising answer to that end, and with his devilish looks, perhaps even more. When Corrina reached out to Kurt for training, she concealed the very fact that initially drove her to inquire about his program - her status as a veteran. Instead, she only mentioned that she was looking for a virtual trainer to keep her in shape. Kurt, always ready to make a buck, charged her full price - $365 for 31 days of online training. Corrina, for her part, always ready to be generous and support a good cause, paid the full requested price without so much as a hint of her service. Why, the reader of this story might inquire? I can't say if even Corrina herself knows; only the Good Lord may have this answer, but the fact that she did hide this fact, intentionally or not, makes the rest of the story even better. A week into the program, Kurt finally discovered that not only did Corrina serve, but she served in the same branch as him, his brothers and his dad, and she deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq, where his older brother, Jan, had served. With this revelation, he forthwith refunded her the $365 with a heartfelt Thank You. Corrina, again, not nearly as parsimonious as Kurt nor needing the recognition, donated the $365 to Kurt's non-profit fund and asked for every cent to be used on the health and wellness of other veterans more in need of his services than her. Now, Kurt's interest in learning more about this new virtual contact had passed Corrina's own, which, if we were to know the truth, was by no means trivial at this point. Physical training continued and the draw toward each other was growing faster than Corrina's muscles. On a whim one day, within no more than an hour, Corrina planned a trip to Utah to see a Jazz game with her son, explore something of a new state, perhaps search for a new car, and the highlight of this impromptu trip - meet Kurt face to face. The following morning she hopped into her old Subaru with her teenage son, Myles, and began the 13 hour drive to her future husband, whom she called from the road. "We're making a quick trip to Utah. Not sure where you live or if you're available (heaven willing you are!), but it would be fun to connect." Kurt nearly dropped the phone and couldn't offer a place for her to stay fast enough, as she had not made any plans to stay any where else. Oh, the subtle artfulness of women! Naturally, she declined at first, but when pressed with a second offer of allowing her and Myles to stay privately in his RV, she accepted, with a sly little smile forming across her face that would make Mona Lisa herself raise a brow. The little party of 3 met for lunch and pleasantries followed by a graciously hosted evening in a comfortable RV just outside Kurt's home, which he stared at through the window of his bedroom all night. Now here we are! Ready to start yet another chapter of Corrina's life, as well as Kurt's, and couldn't be happier. Thank you for your support and for celebrating with us in person or in spirit. 🎉