D'shara & Aimee – Greeley, CO
D'shara Strange, 24, professional basketball player
Aimee Moore, 25, high school teacher and writer
Sparks flew between these two high school basketball competitors before they had even spoken. D’shara was chasing her little sister around, and ran into Aimee. D’shara “looked up at me and smiled that most perfect smile and it was at the same time that I noticed how stunning and unique her eyes are,” Aimee recalls. “We didn't speak a word, but after seeing her like that, no words were needed.” D’shara had a similar response. “The first thing I noticed about Aimee was her dimple on her left cheek when she smiled.” Mutual friends introduced them at the end of 2008, and just a couple months later, they were dating. They were only 17 years old. In the seven years since, they have matured by navigating a long-distance relationship; D’shara plays pro basketball in Germany. It’s been their biggest challenge. “When you love someone,” says Aimee, “you can’t help but want to be with them and experience life with them.” They get through it by doing things together, even when they are apart: reading to each other, working on a marriage counseling book, reminiscing, and thinking about the future—especially their 2017 Hawaii wedding. “We overcome it,” says Aimee, “by trusting in one another and understanding that distance is a temporary pause button on the adventures and life we plan to share together.”
