Feb. 13, 2013
Day Three of our Valentine’s series. Each of these married couples have one thing in common – they were all Yellow Jacket student-athletes.
Cupid is a sports fan. Who knew?
In the athletic department at Georgia Tech, and other schools as well, romances have been initiated in weight rooms, training rooms, dining halls and study halls for many years. It makes sense, actually. When not in class or at home sleeping, student-athletes spend the majority of their time in proximity of the athletic department. Men’s and women’s teams share weight training, sports medicine and academic tutoring facilities. Their paths cross often.
Golfer Matt Kuchar met his wife, Sybi, a Georgia Tech tennis player, while on the Flats. Yellow Jacket men’s tennis coach Kenny Thorne met his wife Bridget, a Tech track athlete, when Thorne was a standout on the Tech tennis team. Those are just two of many examples.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, Sting Daily caught up with a few of the Yellow Jacket couples:
Brad Sellers (Football) And Amelia Beach (Softball)
Brad and Amelia will get married on July 5th.
SD:Tell us a little about how the two of you met and how your relationship evolved?
Brad and Amelia: We initially met during the 2008 football season through mutual friends. After some serious Facebook stalking, Amelia finally convinced Brad to go to a haunted house with her and some friends. We soon found we had a lot in common. Smiling, laughing and exploring new places enabled us to form a stronger bond than we could have ever imagined. We are getting married on July 5, 2013 and couldn’t be happier to start our lives together!
SD:What was it like dating another student-athlete in college?
Brad: It was the greatest thing ever! Finally, someone who understood what you are going through and shared the love of the game with you.
Amelia: I always felt really cool because Brad was the “older” football player 😉
SD:What is your favorite memory of playing sports at Tech?
Brad and Amelia: As we both sat down and tried to figure out our favorite memory, we realized it is way too hard to narrow it down to one. The experience of being a D1 athlete is like none other. It is something that few people get to experience and we both truly took the opportunity and ran with it! The camaraderie and relationships we developed with our teammates are what made this experience so great.
SD:How did Brad propose marriage?
Brad: We went on a 10-day trip to Alaska and our first stop was at Denali National Park. We stayed there for three days in an RV and were able to experience The Last Frontier! The scenery and wildlife was like no other and it was then I decided this was the perfect place to propose. On our last day, we took a walk down to the river and that is when I dropped down to one knee and popped the question. Luckily, she said yes!
SD:How closely do the two of you follow Georgia Tech athletics today?
Brad and Amelia: We both love to cheer on our Jackets any chance we get, especially during football and softball seasons!
SD:If you have kids, would you mind listing their names and ages?
Brad and Amelia: No kiddos yet, but one day!
Andrew Old (Swimming) And Beth Mallory (Cross Country/Track)
SD:Tell us a little about how the two of you met and how your relationship evolved?
Beth: I was at Georgia Tech early for cross country camp my freshman year and a new teammate of mine said I had to meet her boyfriend’s roommate. Although I really did not want a boyfriend, I could not resist. He was a cute junior with dreamy blue eyes, long curly hair and he played the guitar, which is pretty funny to think of now, since he is pretty conservative. We started dating soon afterwards and have been together ever since.
SD:What was it like dating another student-athlete in college?
Beth: I think it was an advantage because we understood the demands of balancing athletics and academics at Tech. We also hung out in the same circle of friends. Also, the traveling involved with competing in different sports meant a lot of weekends apart. I think it is one of the reasons we stayed together throughout college, all those weekends away from one another kept our relationship fresh.
SD:What is your favorite memory of playing sports at Tech?
Beth: Winning my first ACC championship in the mile as a sophomore. I also had hillarious teammates, which made the long track meets seem short.
SD:How did Andrew propose marriage?
Beth: I was at my parent’s house and my Mom kept telling me to head back to Tech — she knew Andrew had plans. That night, which was the night before I graduated from Tech, he took me out for a nice dinner and later in the evening he pulled out a beautiful ring and proposed. After four and half years, I could not believe it. I was so excited.
Andrew and Beth with kids Connor, John and Mallory.
SD:Are either of you still active in sports, and how so?
Beth: I competed for several years after graduation and ran in the 2004 Marathon Olympic Trials. Lately, I run 5-6 days a week and compete in local road races. Andrew started running some after college. He has completed a number of marathons and half-marathons.
SD:How closely do the two of you follow Georgia Tech athletics today?
Beth: We make it to a few football games every year and enjoy following the Jackets on the web and on TV. We are definitely a loyal GT household and hope that one day our kids will follow in our footsteps.
SD:If you have kids, would you mind listing their names and ages?
Beth: Connor 11, John 7 and Mallory 5
SD:Anything else you would like to share?
Beth: We have many fond memories of our time at Georgia Tech and are proud of having been student-athletes. Being a Georgia Tech athlete, but more importantly a graduate prepared us for a successful life after college. We often discuss our time at Tech with our children and enjoy seeing our kids growing up and being competitive in sports.
Previous Stories:
Feb. 12 — Scott & Christy Blair; Kenny & Bridget Thorne
Feb. 13 — Hunter & Joanna Classen; Ryan & Sarah Smith; Joseph & Sara Stegall
