love stories
A BIXLERS
LOVE STORY
This is the story of Mandy and James Alvord , a couple of US national champion cyclists who are also a couple !
Mandy and James each won three national titles just one week before they tied the knot on August 6 , 2022 .
Mandy wanted an engagement ring that she could wear all the time and that also would serve as a wedding ring . Said Mandy , “ I went a nontraditional route because I wanted to find something that best suited my active lifestyle , and the platinum band secured with diamonds was perfect .”
At the same time , she had her grandfather ’ s ring resized and her grandmother ’ s jewelry cleaned for the wedding . Mandy added , “ For special occasions , I would pair my engagement ring with my grandfather ’ s ring and it ’ s complete !”
Fittingly , Mandy and James met at the velodrome near Trexlertown , Pennsylvania , in 2010 and started dating in 2012 . They have been together ever since .
James proposed at the Newark airport on February 1 , 2020 before they were scheduled to depart to Europe for Mandy ’ s training preparation for the Track World Championships .
“ I chose the airport because it ’ s a great place to start a new adventure ,” James said , “ not to mention airports and travel are a lot like relationships . You don ’ t always have control ; sometimes you have delays , detours , and lost baggage ; but it is all about the journey and what you make of it .”
James purchased Mandy ’ s engagement ring at Bixlers . For Mandy ’ s wedding band , Bixlers was honored to resize her grandfather ’ s ring so she could wear it as her own .
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