Category: Sports

Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Family, Health, Hugs, Love, Sports

Anchored to Home

Written by Trevor Jolley

Adam and Jessica Moore lock arms as the Love on the Diamond wedding ceremony takes place. The Moores renewed their vows at the Chattanooga Lookouts’ home plate as one of the couples selected by Sunny 92.3 to participate in the ceremony. Saturday, February 17, 2024. (Photo by Bethany Cothran)

Drawn onto the arms of Jessica and Adam Moore is a dark anchor tattoo, keeping them together no matter what. The tattoo is a result of the couple’s appreciation of tattoos, meaning much more than what is on the skin. It is not only a symbol of love, but of commitment and dedication to their relationship and their family; a reminder of what is truly important when hard times may come. They are each other’s home plate and with each other, they are safe. 

“We are each other’s anchor, you know? It means multiple things,” Adam Moore said. “We keep each other tied down, we keep each other stable.”

Adam and Jessica met on an online dating service in 2009. Adam messaged Jessica after coming across her profile and the two made plans for a first date.

“I went to his house and we just watched a movie,” Jessica Moore said. “I didn’t get off work until two hours after I was supposed to, and I felt really bad because he had to be up for work in [like] six hours.”

After a late albeit successful movie night, the pair knew they wanted to see each other again. Being around Halloween, the pair decided to get in the holiday spirit, so they made a visit to see Jessica’s father at Ruby Falls’ Haunted Cavern, an annual Chattanooga Halloween favorite that converts the beautiful Ruby Falls cave into a spooky haunted tour. 

“After that, I remember he took the drive to me. Then I took him with me and brought him to go meet my dad. We met on the side of the mountain, and it was good,” Jessica Moore said. “You know, it’s your dad. You always want to make a good first impression.” 

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Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, outdoors, Sports

Chatt Town Skate Clinic

Written by Noah Camacho

Skateboard instructor Gray Joyce gives a run down of the Outdoor Chattanooga learn to skate clinic held in Chattanooga’s Chatt Town skate park.

Surrounded by ramps, rails, ledges, and skateboards, families gather to spend a couple of hours learning how to skateboard. Alongside trained instructors, beginner skateboarders learn the basics of skateboarding at the Learn to Skate Clinic. 

Outdoor Chattanooga hosts a learn-to-skateboard class at the Chatt Town skatepark in downtown Chattanooga. During this class, equipment is provided ranging from helmets to kneepads—and most importantly, skateboards.

The class was led by Gray Joyce and Patrick Sheel, local skateboarders who are highly skilled and have extensive skateboarding knowledge.

According to Joyce, beginners should start the class by having a group stretch, which is crucial in skateboarding as it mostly involves their legs. The skateboarders are then taught how to ride a board properly and how to find their center of gravity.

Learning to push and having good foot positioning during this sport is one of the most important things to learn as a beginner, and one must have a firm understanding of both of these before they can move onto bigger obstacles. 

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Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Healing, outdoors, Sports

From Fracture to Finish

Written by Noah Keur

Drew Fisher set off on the Sportsbarn Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. This race was his first official competition following his IRONMAN on September 24, 2023. Thursday, November 23, 2023.
(Photo by Noah Keur)

With the wound not fully healed from the surgery that put two screws in his ankle four months prior, Drew Fisher pulls himself off a bike and prepares for the final stretch of the Chattanooga IRONMAN triathlon. 

Only a 26.2-mile footrace to go… as if the 120 miles already covered wasn’t enough.

For some, the commitment to this grueling race stems from an unwavering drive to be in tip-top physical condition. Or maybe, they sign up for this race to give themselves something to work towards every day—a reason to get out of bed in the morning. There is a percentage of racers, though, who have another, seemingly more trivial reason to travel the distance it would take to get to Birmingham, Alabama in one day. 

“I was reading Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins before a football game in high school, and a coach asked me why I was reading that,” Fisher said. “I told him I wanted to run an IRONMAN. With no hesitation, he responded you’ll never do that. From then on, I just had to run one.” 

Those four words stuck in Fisher’s head for what seemed to him like an eternity. He was just 17 years old at the time—which meant it would be at least another year until he could prove his coach wrong, as you must be an adult to participate. Nevertheless, Fisher got to work. 

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Chattanooga, community, Environment, Sports, Sustainability, teachers, Uncategorized

Driving Our Future

Written by David Harman

Jason Bevil straps a student into the car before the race starts. The students were anticipating their turn to win races for their team. Friday, October 20, 2023. (Photo by Haylee Bowerman)

STEM education has been the driving force behind bringing society to the moon and turning cars electric. Giving children the tools to learn and explore STEM is essential to ensure that the next generation will carry our society further into the future.

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Animals, Chattanooga, community, Entertainment, Sports, Uncategorized

Rocking the Rodeo Scene

Written by Noah Keur

West Mitchell rides a bronc at the Gordo Spooktacular Pro Rodeo, where he placed first with a score of 67. Friday, October 27, 2023 (Photo by Abby White).

With his leather glove jammed into the bareback rig, West Mitchell sits atop a 2000-pound bronc—his heart pounding waiting for the gate to swing open. After some clicks over the loud-speaker—and five shots of Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey—another cowboy pulls the rope attached to the barrier, releasing the horse to do what he’s been trained to for years.

It’s going to be a long eight seconds. 

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Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, Daily Life, Family, Health, Love, Sports, Uncategorized

A Game of Miracles

Written by Maddie Charnes

Hayden Morgan (left) plays shortstop alongside Luca Hyde (right). Saturday, October 28, 2023. (Photo by Noah Camacho)

Cheering and laughter fill the baseball field as smells of burgers on the grill cloud the air. The athletes excitedly make their way to the diamond with smiles stretching across their faces as their loved ones watch from the stands.

The Miracle League of Chattanooga is an organization providing those with disabilities the unique opportunity to play the game of baseball and build connections while experiencing the thrill of competition.  

“The community needs to know that the Miracle League is out there, because there are people out there who need the Miracle League,” said Kim Chapman Whitfield, president and co-founder of the Miracle League of Chattanooga. 

“The Miracle League is joy,” Chapman Whitfield said. “The ‘Miracle’ part about it is getting to see those kids play and not feel inhibited, picked on, [or] bullied.”  

Originating in Atlanta and now consisting of 200 leagues in three different countries, the Miracle League is an organization open to people of all ages with any kind of disability. The Chattanooga league was formed in September of 2017.

“Miracle League is my heart,” Chapman Whitfield said.

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Chattanooga, community, Family, Healing, Hugs, Philanthropy, Sports

Addie’s Angels

By Kylee Boone

Chris Ray pushes his daughter Addie during a training session for Addie Ray Racing while volunteers follow. Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Photo by Kylee Boone).

From the sweat dripping down a runner’s back to the endorphins rushing through their veins, racing is an activity many would describe as euphoric, including married couple Chris and Michelle Ray. Knowing how empowering a runner’s high feels, the Ray’s made it their mission to share the unique experience of racing with the disabled community by founding a nonprofit organization, Addie Ray Racing.

The inspiration behind this was Chris and Michelle’s 16-year-old daughter Addie who was born with Angelman Syndrome. After taking her along for her very first race and seeing the joy that it brought her, they knew this was something that needed to be shared with the people of Chattanooga.

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Chattanooga, community, Entertainment, Family, Sports

Beyond the Ring

Written by Caroline Colvin

Filmed by Cassandra Castillo, Madison Van Horn, and Cassandra Castillo. Edited by Cassandra Castillo.

When Jaden Newman was seven years old, he discovered a DVD at a flea market that would eventually ignite his passion for professional wrestling. The 1997 match between Rey Misterio and Eddie Guerrero revealed to Newman that his love for wrestling was more than a fandom; it was something he wanted to do forever. 

His grandfather, who was with him when he discovered the flea market DVD, was determined that Newman would follow his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. “I wasn’t into sports, but I loved pro wrestling,” Newman said.

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art, Chattanooga, community, Dance, Sports

Dedicated to Dance

By Madison Van Horn

Pierceton Mazell stretches in the studio at Chattanooga Ballet. Thursday, December 3, 2022. (Photo By Madison Van Horn).

The world of ballet is more than just sugar plum fairies and pirouettes. With years of training and a deep passion for artistry, professional dancers like Pierceton Mazell revolve their lives around dance.

“A lot of people haven’t been exposed to this type of lifestyle,” Mazell said. “Dancers are professional athletes without the benefits of professional athletes. You know, it’s a passion project and it’s a lifestyle job.”

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Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Environment, Health, outdoors, Sports, UTC, women

Row As You Grow

Written by Anna Truss

Filmed by Jake Redfern and Madison Van Horn. Edited by Jake Redfern.

“Shoulders, ready, up,” calls the coxswain as the team of rowers lifts the boat onto their shoulders.

Kay Hughes and her team were moving their boat to a different dock to prepare for the Head of the Hooch regatta in early November. Even after 10 years of rowing, the thrill has not died for Hughes.

“We had so much fun and people started posting pictures and the camaraderie and the group coming together, it really is truly a team sport,” Hughes mused.

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