It all started on Match.com with a finish-line photo that turned out to be the beginning of something wonderful.

Among the pictures on Sasha’s profile was one taken after he competed in the Canadian Army Run. Believe it or not, that was the photo that caught Laura’s attention. She had no idea then that the man at the finish line would become the person she would build her future with.

For their first date, Laura met Sasha at the Chapters bookstore in Ottawa’s ByWard Market. Her first thought? She could hardly believe that this handsome man was going on a date with her. Yes, really!

They headed to The Grand Pizzeria and Bar, where Sasha was introduced to mushrooms on pizza. A new connection and a new pizza experience, all in one evening.

But it was the conversation that made the biggest impression. As the evening went on, Sasha listened to Laura talk about her separation and offered advice about things she might want to look out for. To Laura, his thoughtfulness revealed someone who genuinely cared about her. Beyond the handsome face and the finish-line photograph, there was kindness. And that was where their story really began.

That August, Sasha was posted to Toronto by the Canadian Armed Forces. With a move to the big city ahead of him, he asked Laura to come along. Her answer was wonderfully practical: why not? If things did not work out, at least Toronto had a larger Romanian community.

Fortunately, that backup plan was never needed.

Since then, they have enjoyed many, many races together, turning that first finish-line connection into a shared part of their lives. Laura has also followed in Sasha’s footsteps and joined the Canadian Armed Forces. She continues to embrace a healthy, physically active lifestyle, one of the qualities that attracted Sasha to her in the first place. The race-day photo may have caught Laura’s eye, but their shared love of an active life helped bring them closer.

More than six years later, things have not only worked out; Sasha and Laura are engaged, building a home and a future together. What began with a dating profile, a race-day photograph, and a first date over pizza has become a love they will carry into every chapter ahead. Together, they are building more than a home: they are building a life in which they get to keep choosing each other.

That finish-line photograph was never the end of the story. It was the beginning of theirs, and the most beautiful part is the future they get to share, side by side