He’s a world champion Ultimate Frisbee player. She runs Ironman triathlons and is always looking for new physical challenges. Meet George and Emma Stubbs, who moved onto Issaquah Dock last year, but hardly settled down. They’re about the most active couple I’ve ever met, but I got them to sit still for an interview in early October.
George has been playing Ultimate (as the sport is often called), since he was a schoolboy in Atlanta. It’s a team game that combines elements of basketball, football, handball and rugby. Recently, he helped the U.S. national team win the World Championships … for the second time! He’s also part of a local club team (the San Francisco Revolver), which is currently competing in the National Championship in Sarasota, Florida. News Flash: They won! It was George’s first national championship in five tries.
You can see a short video of George in an earlier competition on Facebook. After the Nationals, he says, “I’m ready to veg out for a while.” For George, vegging out probably involves mountain biking, hiking, and other recreational activities too vigorous to mention.
Emma has run multiple Ironmans, consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. She says, “You feel miserable while you’re doing it, but somehow it’s totally addictive.” When we met, she was getting ready to take part in a 182-mile relay race from San Francisco to Napa — just for a change of pace. Unfortunately, that race has since been called off, like so many outdoor events in the Wine Country. When not competing, Emma surfs, skis and swims in aquatic park. Together, they also enjoy kite surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking.
The couple met at Harvard, and Emma, a Marin native, had always wanted to move back to the Bay Area. After hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexican border into Canada for 5 months in the spring and summer 2015, they began house hunting here. They were looking for a small place and a simple lifestyle close to nature when friends on South Forty Pier introduced them to our community, which “checked all the boxes,” according to Emma. They wound up buying a fixer-upper on Issaquah and are in the midst of a major remodel.
Professionally, Emma’s on the Corporate Development Team of a high a tech startup, and George works at a small consulting firm specializing in leadership and culture development. They’re a winning addition to our community.
