More than meets the eye: Flex and the city

27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

Editor’s note: This feature is the fourth in a series highlighting exceptional spouses at Cannon.

link U.S. Air Force photo: Senior Airman Whitney Tucker

Isabel McCulloch performs a chest fly during a training session while her husband, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Barrett McCulloch, 27th Special Operations Aerospace Medicine Squadron dental technician, spots her at the Fitness Center at Cannon Air Force Base. Having taken second place in her first-ever figure competition, the Fitness New Mexico Championships Muscle Mania, Isabel is preparing for another competition scheduled to take place in October.

This just in: recent reports show that Facebook creeping has officially surpassed baseball as the nation's favorite pastime. In unrelated news, cavalier use of the "duck" face is now punishable by law in 39 of the 50 states.

Though she never employed the infamous duck face unless absolutely necessary, Isabel McCulloch would likely be found guilty of first degree creeping. The offense in question resulted in precisely one cross-country move, and one marriage.

"Isabel found me on Facebook through a mutual friend," said Barrett McCulloch, 27th Special Operations Aerospace Medicine Squadron dental technician, as a broad smile spread across his face. "When she learned that I was a fitness enthusiast, she wouldn't stop messaging me."

Eager to connect with someone who shared her newfound passion for eating clean and training hard, Isabel was determined to strike up a friendship with the stranger who, unbeknownst to her, would soon be her husband. Though Isabel appears to be the quintessential health nut, this was not always the case.

"I used to be a very unhealthy person," Isabel said. "I had an eating disorder and as a result, I was incredibly skinny and malnourished."

Her transformation didn't take place over night, and it didn't happen by chance. Isabel, acknowledging that she needed to make a change, made the conscious decision to take control of her health and her life.

"I worked at a coffee stand outside a fitness center in Seattle and one day I decided to consult with a personal trainer," the Washington native explained. "At the time, I couldn't even do a body squat without my knees shaking uncontrollably, but my trainer helped me get healthy. I fell in love with the sport and six months later, I was a personal trainer myself."

Nearly a year and a half later, Isabel had completely turned her life around and was experiencing unprecedented success in her chosen career field when low and behold, Mr. Facebook himself arrived for a visit and just like that, everything changed.

Upon meeting, the chemistry between Barrett and Isabel was undeniable and their relationship, which had previously been strictly business, intensified to love instantaneously.

"Isabel and I had spoken quite a bit online, but our interaction was purely fitness related," Barrett said. "It wasn't until I went to Washington to visit our mutual friend that we finally met, and our relationship became something deeper."

Because life has a funny way of working things out, Barrett's host was called away on TDY almost the minute the Air Commando arrived in Washington, rendering him temporarily homeless.

"It was love at first sight," Isabel said, "so I didn't mind when Barrett ended up staying with me during his visit. Even though we were only together for a week, we had a real connection.

There was no question that we would stay in touch when he went back to New Mexico."

Just two months later, tragedy struck when the friend who had been so instrumental in bringing Isabel and Barrett together, suddenly passed away. His loss served as a cruel reminder of how fleeting life can be, and negated any hesitation the couple had about taking their relationship to the next level.

"When Barrett came to Washington for the funeral, I decided I would go back to Clovis with him," Isabel said. "During my visit, we decided to make our relationship official and we were married shortly after."

With their first anniversary as man and wife quickly approaching, Mr. and Mrs. McCulloch couldn't be more content, or more ripped for that matter. Their relationship, which was born from their mutual love of fitness, has come full circle. Both Barrett and Isabel recently competed in their first-ever figure competition, the Fitness New Mexico Championships Muscle Mania, June 1 in Albuquerque with Isabel clinching second place.

"When I saw the enormous stage the night before the competition, I nearly had a panic attack," Isabel said. "But when the house was packed and I was about to walk onto the stage, I wasn't nervous at all — I was excited. The feeling is completely addicting and I'll be competing in another competition this October."

Though many military spouses struggle to separate themselves from the negative connotations that plague them, Isabel lives her life in a way that suggests she's completely unaffected by the naysayers around her. It's possible the newlywed has yet to encounter individuals who propagate the archaic stereotype, but as evidence would suggest, she's just too busy killing it to care.

Perhaps the band, 3LW said it best — "haters gonna hate."