The Favors' Love Story.
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id you know that less than two percent of all marriages are to a high school sweetheart? This shocking statistic does not include St. Luke’s’ very own high school sweethearts Drew and Ashley (formerly Chatman) Favors, though. Drew and Ashley have been married for almost three years, but their story begins ten years ago in the training room where they meet while getting ready for their respective football and volleyball practices. With Drew a senior and Ashley a freshman, the training room was the only time the pair were in the same room together. They often joke that “we owe our relationship to trainer Dave and his ankle taping”.
Both Drew and Ashley thought that as they went to a small school, they knew everyone at St. Luke's, but as conversation flowed in the training room, they soon realized that maybe they had missed someone very important. Drew, laughing at the “tact” of his high school self, notes “I really wanted to impress her, so I did what any high school guy would do and took her to McDonald’s for dinner”. Even during something as simple as a trip to McDonald’s, the spark was apparent as the pair had an absolutely wonderful time together.
Soon, their relationship fostered. They could have been found enjoying Japanese Express or going head to head at Mario Kart on Ashley’s Wii. Other memorable moments of their relationship in high school was Prom. Ashley notes being nervous to attend Drew’s Senior Prom as just a Freshman, while Drew laughs about being the only 20 year old at Ashley’s Senior Prom.
When Drew went off to college, despite being so young, the pair were determined to make it work. They soon went from seeing each other everyday at school to being thousands of miles away from each other, as Drew attended a college in South Dakota. After a semester in South Dakota, though, Drew came back to Mobile to continue his education at the University of South Alabama. The couple would soon be hours away from each other again as Ashley went away to College at the University of Southern Mississippi. The amount of travel and time apart that come along with a long-distance relationship certainly were not easy, but these challenges did not deter their love for each other. They both were able to grow into themselves as people, while still sharing love and support for each other.
With both Drew and Ashley as athletes, they carry over their knowledge of sports into their relationship.Drew and Ashley describe that a good relationship involves “being each other’s teammate”. When a player puts themselves above the team, things can fall apart, and the same can be seen in relationships. They try to remember during any arguments or disagreements that they are always on the same “team”, whose interests they hold dear to their hearts.
Ashley and Drew would like to add that “We have St. Luke’s to thank for being the place where we were able to meet each other and hold so many special memories and moments for us. This high school relationship has grown into a marriage that has now turned into a family with the addition of our two month old beautiful baby girl, Addie”. St. Luke is very proud of Ashley and Drew for their accomplishments, and we have absolutely adored watching their high-school sweetheart relationship bloom over the years.
