2019-04-01 Women's Health

110 / WOMEN’S HEALTH APRIL 20 19

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If anyone has cracked the code to crazy-strong love, it’s these couples who

clock as much together time M–F as on the weekend. While their ’ships

aren’t always smooth sailing, their discoveries are definitely worth stealing.

Wo r k , Train,

Stay Together 

The Athlete

and Her Coach

Emma Coburn, Olympic-

medalist steeplechaser,

and coach Joe Bosshard

Twelve years ago, in high

school, Joe was just Emma’s

go o d f r iend w it h a pa s sion

for running. By spending

time together, Emma fell in

love with the pastime—and

him—and the pair joined the

same college track team. But

a few years after graduation,

a s Jo e be c a me more i m-

mersed in the science of the

sport, and Emma, three

years into her professional

career, became faster and

more skilled, a new dynamic

presented itself: Emma, the

athlete, and Joe, the coach.

They m a r r ie d i n 2017 a nd

now spend “23.5 hours a day

together,” says Emma.

BEST ADVICE Embrace a care-

free attitude and joke around

as much as possible. “Even

though our careers depend

on each ot her, we keep a cer-

tain lightness all the time,”

Emma says. “We save major

talks for things that are actu-

ally major, whether it’s about

my training or us.” A s in,

don’t take yourself (or your

partner’s actions) too seri-

ously or have hash-this-out

conversations about non-

recurring issues. The light-

heartedness helps you quickly

detect when somet hing is im-

portant to your partner, says

Carmichael. It can also pre-

vent unnecessary stress, as

molehills stay molehills. One

caveat: If using humor helps

you bring up scary topics

(erm, the baby convo), say so.

Try: “I’m talking about this in

a jokey way, but it’s some-

thing I’m serious about.”

It’s no truth bomb that relation-

ships take work. We’ve all heard

it, seen it, learned it firsthand.

But for couples whose romantic

lives and careers directly intersect, if not to-

tally overlap, it’s the daily interactions that

can make or break their bond. “Mixing per-

sonal and professional relationships can be

difficult to navigate because there aren’t clear

boundaries for either,” says WH advisor Chloe

Carmichael, PhD, a psychologist specializing

in relationships. “But when you figure out your

flow, it can be enriching and exciting as

your separate worlds come together.”

If you’re among the 31 percent of people

whose office romance turned into marriage

(or the 35 percent of women who have dated

a coworker), per a 2018 CareerBuilder survey,

navigating the waters is about to get easier.

And even if the greatest involvement your

S.O. has in your workday is sharing your pot

of morning coffee, these nuggets of wisdom

from (successful!) coworking couples will

strengthen your connection. 

By Marissa Gainsburg