The home of Martina and George Williams on Columbine Road holds many special memories and milestones; it’s the place where they got married, with a Bridgerton-themed costume party, in October 2022, and it’s the place where Martina took care of her father after his dementia diagnosis in 2016. While her dad could no longer drive, having a home in Biltmore Park gave Martina the freedom to walk with him to Biltmore Park Town Square to have dinner or watch a movie.

Martina first moved to Asheville in 1993 to spend time with her mother, an Asheville native. She fell in love with the mountains and stayed. After her father was diagnosed with dementia, Martina flew to where he lived in Austin, Texas, to bring him to live with her in Asheville. When he died in 2018, she decided to remain in Biltmore Park because of “the fabulous neighborhood.”

Just when Martina was about to swear off dating apps for good, she and George met on Bumble. “Our first date was in Biltmore Park at Nine Mile.” George eventually relocated from Spartanburg, South Carolina, to join her in Biltmore Park.

Martina is originally from Los Angeles and went to college in San Francisco. She graduated with a degree in economics from Mills College in Oakland, California, and an MS in counseling psychology from Western Carolina University. Martina is a licensed therapist, board-certified coach and vice chair of a private foundation.

“I wear many hats at this point in my career,” she says. “I was trained as a trauma recovery therapist, but I now spend most of my time as a consultant and mentor for rising clinicians. I’m also a resilience and wellness coach for senior management and entrepreneurs.” Martina briefly worked in corporate America in economics before turning to psychology. “Changing career paths fulfilled my dream of helping individuals transform their lives,” she says. Go to thebraveintrovert.com to learn more.

George is a self-described army brat born in Seattle, but most of his extended family lives in Georgia. He claims Atlanta as his hometown. George says, “I started as an aerospace engineering major at Georgia Tech, but later transferred to Georgia State University to study English. I then earned a PhD in 18th-century British literature from the University of Maryland.” Today George is a tenured associate professor of English at USC Upstate. He commutes to South Carolina for work twice a week, working remotely the remainder of the week. He is also starting a consulting business offering grant writing, technical documentation and digital content writing.

“I teach courses on writing and literature,” he says. “I am currently working on a hybrid book and web project titled ‘Building an Accessible Future for the Humanities.’ From a young age, I have always loved language, stories and books. About 20 years ago, I became interested in studying how people with disabilities read, write and make use of digital content, and this is now my focus for research and advocacy,” he says.

The Williamses have four dogs! Martina says, “Our youngest dogs are most often seen racing through the backyard, guarding the fence and play-fighting with each other. We think they look like miniature Godzillas wrestling with one another.” Seamus, 9, is a hound dog mix; Prince, 9, is a beagle; Maple, 2, is a Rotti hound mix; and Jasper, 1, is a red Catahoula Leopard mix.

Both George and Martina are cycling enthusiasts. Martina also loves to dance and has been an Argentine tango dancer since 2007. George is a huge music enthusiast, guitarist and runner. “You may catch him running with Fleet Feet groups training for marathons,” Martina says. Currently a substitute spin teacher at the Reuter YMCA, Martina used to teach two classes a week prior to the pandemic.

“Our favorite activity is pursuing cycling adventures on Sundays,” Martina says. “We can be found climbing long hills for hours in Brevard, Hendersonville and Tryon. We also love attending concerts across a wide range of music genres.” Both are big fans of historical drama and sci-fi and enjoy relaxing in their living room. They read; watch Netflix, Disney and Hulu; listen to podcasts; and go to the movies.

They also love to cook and bake. Their most favorite meal to make for dinner? Almond-flour pancakes! George lived in Europe for five years growing up, gained a deep appreciation for food, and he is the main chef in the household.

“Locally we love to visit Charleston to enjoy delicious meals and cycling in the flatlands!” George says. “We have family in Denver and try to visit yearly. We also love Boston and visit each year for Martina’s work in the foundation. We also love international travel, having visited Scotland to see friends. Martina and her best friend will be touring New Zealand for a month in 2025, which will include cycling.”

Their next big trip for Martina and George is cycling in Iceland!

Fun fact: Martina’s sister is Ann Patchett, the international New York Times bestselling author and independent bookstore owner, Martina shares. “We’re so proud of her!”

The Williamses love Biltmore Park’s sense of community, beauty, trails, accessibility to all the restaurants by foot, the Reuter YMCA and the movies. “We love the warmth of all the neighbors we have met on our street and when out and about walking our dogs.”