From the Starting Line to Home Base: How One Military Family Found Their Stride in Spotsylvania
Photo by Karen Presecan
By the time Brooke Czarnecki laces up her running shoes each evening, she has already managed a life that would exhaust most just to read about. At 28, she is a Registered Dietitian with a thriving practice, mother of a spirited toddler and a baby, wife to an active-duty soldier, and has called Georgia, Alaska, Missouri, Kentucky, and now Virginia home—all in just a few years. Yet, if you ask her, she sounds not like someone catching her breath, but like someone hitting her stride.
Brooke and her husband, Isaac, both 28, are not just a military family—they are a love story that began before they could drive. "Isaac is my high school sweetheart," Brooke says. "Our first memories together are from track and cross country meets in middle and high school." Decades later, the two athletes are still running—literally and figuratively—side by side.
Their most memorable adventure together came early in their military life, when the Army sent them north in the most dramatic way possible. "One of my favorite memories with him is our drive from Georgia to Alaska during COVID," Brooke recalls. "It was our first military move together, and the drive was absolutely amazing." They made that trek with Dalton, their then six-month-old Golden Retriever, who has since become one of the most well-traveled dogs in America. Rounding out the fur family is Marsha, a four-year-old rescue cat from Alaska who, in true cat fashion, has won over the one household member who was least enthusiastic about her arrival. "Isaac wasn't thrilled about us getting a cat," Brooke admits with a laugh, "but now Isaac is Marsha's favorite person."
The family arrived in the Lancaster Gate subdivision in 2024, and Brooke has wasted no time putting down roots. What drew them to the area was the military assignment, but what made them stay — in spirit, at least — is something deeper. "We really hope to settle in Virginia," she says. "It feels the most like home, but without the harsh winters. We are definitely East Coasters at heart." For a family originally from upstate New York, the mid-Atlantic climate and culture strike just the right balance between familiar and fresh.
Their neighborhood, quiet and spacious on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, suits their lifestyle perfectly. "We love that our neighborhood is just outside the hustle and bustle of Fredericksburg, but we can still get to downtown and fun events with a quick drive," Brooke explains. When date nights do happen, the couple has a clear favorite destination: FoodE, their go-to restaurant in Fredericksburg, where good food and a night out from two small children feels like a small luxury well-earned.
At home, life revolves around Jude and Henry, who are two very different boys. Jude, who will turn three in August, is passionate about Lightning McQueen, farm animals, noodles, trucks, tractors, and anything with big wheels or heavy machinery; he even helps his dad "dig" and tend to their garden. Ten-month-old Henry has simpler needs. "Henry adores his older brother," Brooke says, "and can't wait until he can keep up– he’s always smiling and chasing him around the house."
Brooke's professional life reflects the same precision and dedication she brings to everything else. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in dietetics and nutrition, she completed her clinical training at the Cleveland Clinic and passed her credentialing exam in July 2020. She launched her private practice almost immediately — and it took off faster than she expected. "I started my business right after my credentialing exam and haven't looked back since," she says. Her clinical work has spanned eating disorder recovery, sports nutrition for athletes ranging from runners to gymnasts, and support for postpartum mothers (a population she now understands from the inside out)-- and she sees every age from teens all the way up to perimenopause/menopausal women.
That personal connection to her clients is not incidental. Brooke ran at the collegiate level in both cross country and track, serving as team captain her senior year, and she describes herself as a lifelong runner. Now, as she navigates her second postpartum return to running, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the women she serves. It is a combination that has made her practice stand out.
Her community involvement has grown quickly since settling in Spotsylvania. She joined the local Chamber of Commerce in December 2025, eager to connect with the business community she plans to be part of for years to come. She is also the official dietitian for Sweat Like a Mother (S.L.A.M.) Quantico, a fitness community for local moms that has become a genuine source of personal sustenance. "Being a part of this community has been a huge blessing for my mental health," she shares. "We are a super friendly bunch and are always looking for new mamas to join us." In 2026, she plans to plug into local running groups as well, adding another thread to the fabric of the community life she is actively and intentionally building.
When the Czarneckis need a real break, they visit a family camp in the Adirondacks. It's the kind of place that needs no explanation for those who know where to go to relax and enjoy a reprieve in the midst of a busy life.
After years of moves and milestones, Brooke Czarnecki seems to have found something rarer than a perfect neighborhood or great restaurant: the feeling of being exactly where she belongs.
