Ross has cystic fibrosis and wasn't supposed to live past 16 — he just ran a marathon at 29. The Proposal Ross proposed to his girlfriend, CJ, as they crossed the finish line together at the Wenatchee Marathon. I happened to be in the area and saw him on bended knee — as a wedding photographer, I had to capture the moment. It took a while to track them down — his race number helped!

1° of Separation We've learned that CJ had worked alongside Emily at Kadlec Hospital, AND she takes Emily's aerobics classes. Then we learned that CJ took dance classes with my sister! (By now you should have "It's a Small World" running through your head.)

Go-Forward What strikes me about them is their unflinching go-forward attitude. He may have Cystic Fibrosis (CF), but that doesn't keep them from living now. CF causes breathing difficulties, yet he's finished a marathon. (CJ says Ross "kicks ass at life.") And these best of friends will be married soon.

We hope they are an inspiration to you, too.