Obituary: Asunta Noel Borelli, 1976-2026

Asunta Noel Borelli, age 49, of Waleska, Ga., passed away from cancer on Saturday, August 15, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Her last days were filled with hours upon hours of stories and laughter about all the amazing things she had done.

Asunta was a badass mountain biker, chef and mom extraordinaire. She experienced three or four lifetimes’ worth of adventure, laughter, and fun with family and friends. She had a zest for life’s experiences, which could range from goat yoga to customized strength training, which she dubbed “Body by Asunta.” She was everyone’s favorite person to hang out with and quickly became more than a friend.

Asunta was physically strong, but her superpower was the mental strength and resilience of a world-class athlete. No matter what was going on, she was always encouraging others to push themselves and experience new things, and then she would drag you along with her on her own new adventure.

Asunta was born two weeks early to Bob and Penny Finnegan, as she could not wait to get started in life. She spent her childhood chasing her older siblings, Bo and Holly, and their friends around the town of Williston. As part of the free-range kid generation, their days were filled with trampolines, bikes, skiing, horseback riding, gymnastics and playing soccer inside horse barns. And yes, the horses were in the barn while we were playing.

After high school, Asunta graduated from the New England Culinary Institute and started her career in the culinary world. She started working as a sous chef for Hilton, which allowed her to travel and experience many different parts of the world. Asunta then became a pastry chef and returned to Vermont for a short time, where she developed her passion for mountain biking — a passion that would eventually take her all over the country.

Asunta ended up in Florida, where she met the love of her life, Michael Borelli, while mountain biking. This, of course, led to Asunta learning how to ride a motorcycle and a motocross bike so that she could go ride moto with Mike.

When her son, RJ, was born, she made sure he got to experience everything from tae kwon do and football to motocross and mountain biking. There was no such thing as a typical weekend, as she could find a way to fit in motocross, working out, mountain biking and cooking a gourmet meal, which often included her secret ingredient: truffle oil.

The family garage was an extension of their home — a place where bikes were worked on but more importantly where plans were made, stories were told and the next adventure was usually being figured out. She loved bringing her family and friends along for the ride, and RJ grew up knowing that life was all about lived experiences, getting out there, trying new things, taking on challenges and making memories along the way. For Asunta, being a mom was never about sitting on the sidelines. She was right there in the middle of it all, riding, working, laughing, cooking, encouraging and making memories with the people she loved most.

Asunta is survived by her loving husband, Mike Borelli; her son, RJ Borelli; her mother, Penny Finnegan; and her siblings, Bo Finnegan and Holly Finnegan.

Per her wishes, Asunta’s ashes will be spread on her favorite mountain bike trails throughout Georgia, Florida and Vermont.

There will be a celebration of Asunta’s life in Waleska, Ga., at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please don’t wait. Get out there and do something you’ve always wanted to do, and then pass on that story to encourage others to do the same — as Asunta would have loved hearing that story.

This article appears in August 26 • 2026.