It turns out, landing speaking gigs can lead to more than inspiring audiences—it can lead to love. My wife, Audrey, found me because of my speaking engagement at the First Tee National Championship. She didn’t actually attend the event, as it was in Northern California and First Tee’s headquarters are in Jacksonville. Instead, her job was to research and vet potential speakers for the event. In other words, she pretty much got paid to stalk me online.
Audrey watched my videos, read articles about me, and decided I was worth booking. But what really sealed the deal wasn’t my story or my stage presence—it was the single request in my speaking rider: a dog bowl of water for my guide dog, Quebec. She thought that was the coolest and cutest thing ever.
Fast forward to after the event, I was scrolling through my Instagram notifications—something I rarely do because of all the bot accounts—when I heard my voiceover software announce, “Audrey Brooks followed you.” The name caught my attention. I thought, “That sounds like a cute girl’s name.” So, naturally, I clicked on her profile and discovered she was a collegiate beach volleyball player at the University of North Florida. Pretty name, beach volleyball player, southern beach city—she had to be cute, right?
As any blind guy would, I called up my buddy to verify. He gave me the green light, so I followed her back. I wasn’t expecting much, given the distance between Jacksonville and Southern California, but I replied to one of her Instagram stories. I completely misunderstood what she meant, but it didn’t matter—the ice was broken.
What followed was a series of DMs that turned into exchanging phone numbers and eventually a phone call. Her voice was sweet, with a subtle southern charm that drew me in immediately. After that first call, I knew I had to meet her in person. So, I searched for any excuse to get to Jacksonville. I noticed the Blue Angels were performing there, and since my company Engage represents some of their former pilots, I made a quick call. One of the captains helped set up a meet-and-greet, and just like that, Audrey and I had our first date.
We clicked instantly in person, just as we had on the phone. Audrey was everything I’d ever hoped for in a woman: sweet, strong, smart, adventurous, fun, hardworking, athletic, dog-loving, Jesus-loving, and absolutely gorgeous. I started flying to Jacksonville as often as I could—sometimes on the back end of speaking engagements, and sometimes just to see her. Long distance was tough, but it only made us long for each other more.
Eventually, we couldn’t take being apart anymore. It was either her moving to California or me moving to Florida. Falling in love with Audrey meant also falling in love with Jacksonville. So, I decided to move—but not before proposing to her.
The Vision Cup is like the Ryder Cup for blind golf—a battle of the 16 best blind golfers from North America against the 16 best from the rest of the world. It’s a biannual event, alternating between North America and Europe, and this time, it was being held in Vienna, Austria. For Audrey and me, it was our first time in Europe, and we couldn’t wait! We were ready to explore the Austrian countryside, taste authentic schnitzels, experience centuries of history—and, though Audrey didn’t know it yet, I was ready to take a knee.
I had the ring carefully tucked away in my luggage, just waiting for the right moment. To be honest, I didn’t know exactly when or where it would happen—I had ideas, but I was leaving room for inspiration to strike.
We started our trip with a couple of days in Munich, Germany, but nothing felt quite right there. Then, on our drive to Vienna, I knew we’d be stopping in Salzburg. That morning, I slipped the ring into my pocket, thinking the moment might come there. As we wandered through Salzburg’s romantic streets, I found plenty of places where I could see myself proposing. But something was always a little off—too crowded, not the right vibe, or just not the moment.
Finally, just before we were about to leave, we decided to tour the Hohensalzburg Castle, an 11th-century fortress perched high above the city. On one of its balconies, overlooking the river and the city below, we found our own quiet corner. With the breathtaking landscape around us and Audrey by my side, I knew—it was time to make her my queen. Right there, on that castle balcony, I asked her to marry me.
The rest of the trip was unforgettable, but nothing could match the sparkle of the new ring on Audrey’s finger—or the joy of knowing we were starting forever together.
That fall, we found ourselves back in Jacksonville, on Jax Beach—the same beach where we watched the Blue Angels soar by on our first date. Beneath a cross arbor and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, we said “I do.” It was a perfect day in every way. None of us—including our pastor and families—had shoes on. As I heard Audrey say “I do,” picturing her in her white dress, I knew God had blessed me beyond anything I could ever deserve.
Now, we are one, with God at the center of our marriage. His love for us inspires the love we share for each other, renewed every single morning. Marriage is one of the greatest representations of God’s love for His church, and I love Audrey with that same devotion. She—and now our beautiful baby boy—are my entire world. I can’t imagine life without them. Audrey, I’ll love you forever.
If you’d like to dive deeper into Audrey’s and my love story, faith, and our perfect wedding day, check out this short story and devotional written from our pastor’s perspective. It’s a heartfelt reflection on the moments and meaning behind the day that brought us together forever—and how we’re now navigating our newest battle as a family with faith, strength, and love.