THE NAJAFI FAMILY: Navigating Life on Two Wheels

By Kelli M. Larson Photos provided by Carol Larsen Photography, Bianca Thomason, and the Najafi family

Hashemi and Elizabeth Najafi have a lot of things in common, chief amongst them a passion for active living. Any time the adventurous young couple has a chance, they’re out biking, skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, or hiking. Ironically, it was at an indoor event – a church conference in Murrieta, California – that they met. They were both youth leaders at their own churches, and Elizabeth was also on the worship team.

“When I first spotted Elizabeth singing on stage, I thought I’d seen an angel,” reflects Hashemi, who was in a rap/rock fusion band at the time. “I didn’t get the chance to meet her that night, but I did shortly thereafter.”

Fortunately, he was a patient man. It took three years for them to finally start dating!

Their 2017 wedding on the bluffs overlooking Pirate’s Cove in Corona Del Mar, California, made for beautiful photos. Today, they enjoy riding bikes from Huntington Beach to The Wedge in Newport Beach to take in the view and reminisce about their romantic day. They started their lives together in Newport Coast, but it was an idea that came to Hashemi during another two-wheeled cruise that changed their lives.

“We began renting electric bicycles (eBikes) on weekends,” he explains, “in order to share our passion and excitement with others.”