Meet Whitney Tanner-Spurr ­- athlete, yogi, business owner

If you haven’t met Whitney Tanner-Spurr, there is a good chance you have heard her name.

Tanner-Spurr is the wife of a Montana Highway Patrolman, a mom, an amateur athlete, a yoga instructor and a small business owner.

Tanner-Spurr, who grew up in a small town in Indiana, said that during the summer breaks her family would vacation in Montana. This, she said, is when she fell in love with Montana.

When she met her husband, she said one of the deal-breakers was if he was willing to one day move to Montana.

“I said, if I am going to date you, you have to be willing to move to Montana. Luckily he was open to it,” she said with a laugh.

Thus, one day Tanner-Spurr said that as life changed and they were looking at the next step, they pulled a map out of Montana, drew a 100-mile circle around Missoula and started applying for jobs within that realm.

“It didn’t matter where we were really, I just knew this was the area we needed to be,” she explained.

“I really fell in love with this area when I did a short stay at the university, so this is what we based our ‘area’ around to move to,” she said.

A stroke of faith, is how Tanner-Spurr best describes her landing in Plains.

“I grew up in a small town and I wanted to one day make sure my kids would have that same experience,” she said.

“It’s funny because Steve and I didn’t know anyone here when we first moved. But as I started going to the grocery store, or post office, I ran into so many people I had met at college,” she added with a giggle.

Tanner-Spurr also believes everything happens for a reason. When she reflects on where she started from and how everything has worked out — even the occasional bad time where life got in the way, or changed — she truly believes she is doing what she was destined to do and ended up here where she belongs.

An abundance of vibrancy, Tanner-Spurr emulates a larger-than-life personality and drive to be a part of a community.

With a whimsical way of marching to her own beat, she makes a big effort to be involved in the community in as many ways as she can.

The mother of two young girls, Tanner-Spurr also runs a yoga studio, two clothing businesses and a hand-crafted business mainly sewing and crocheting items.

From her Wildhorse Yoga studio, Tanner-Spurr said that she accommodates for all levels of yoga, and her classes are set depending on who and how many yogis show up.

“I like to make sure everyone can get what they need when they come to the studio. Whether they are really advanced in yoga, or just starting out, I like to keep it light and fun,” she said.

You can find her yoga studio in the Wildhorse Plaza right next to her small business shop, all of which is very personable and emulates the relaxing feeling she embraces.

On top of all of that, Tanner-Spurr is on a mission to run a marathon in all 50 states.

Determined to make the world a better place, she aims to inspire those around her with fitness and kindness.

She volunteers regularly within her church and community, which also includes being the coach of the mini-mermaids running club at Plains School.

She attempts to inspire those from first to fifth grade with running and the importance of creating self-pride as they also take to helping keep the school grounds clean.

Tanner-Spurr said she believes that it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to inspire, and should one look to find a photo that accompanies that phrase the town of Plains should be pictured right next to it.

With a multitude of simple reasons, Tanner-Spurr encompasses an old soul with a drive to inspire everyone she meets.

“It’s not about what we’re doing, it’s about setting a good example for our kids and the next generation,” she said.