Olympic Love Stories: 8 Couples Competing in Milan

When U.S. Paralympians Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike met at a Nordic competition in 2013, they bonded over coffee. A year later, during a gondola ride in Sochi, they realized their friendship had become something more.

"We had a really special moment where we kind of realized on a gondola that this is more than just a friend," Masters told NPR. Eight years later, Pike proposed on another gondola in Wyoming.

Now they're competing together at the Winter Paralympics in Italy, where they might finally tie the knot. Masters has already gone dress shopping with her two Paris 2024 gold medals in tow.

They're not alone in mixing Olympic glory with romance. Hockey captain Hilary Knight and speed skater Brittany Bowe started dating during the isolated 2022 Beijing Games, when daily walks around the Olympic Village became their routine.

"It was cool living in a bubble and not having outside distractions," said Bowe, who's attending her fourth Olympics while Knight competes in her fifth. This time, without pandemic restrictions, their families can cheer together.

Bobsledders Kaysha Love and Hunter Powell followed a similar path. Love competed in 2022, then convinced her track star boyfriend to switch sports and join her.

"She talked me into it, and I'm so thankful that she did," said Powell, who got engaged to Love last July. "I'm traveling the world for the first time in my life, chasing the dream, with the woman I love and my best friend."

Snowboarders Red Gerard and Hailey Langland have known each other since age 12 and dated for eight years. Though Langland is sidelined by an ACL injury this year, she's staying with Gerard and his family in Italy to support him.

Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates partnered professionally in 2011, but it took six more years before Bates confessed his feelings. They married in Hawaii in 2024, blending their on-ice chemistry with real-life romance.

Why This Inspires

These couples prove that pursuing excellence doesn't mean sacrificing partnership. They're showing young athletes that ambition and love can fuel each other, not compete.

Whether training together or cheering from the stands, these Olympians are building relationships as strong as their athletic achievements.

Their stories remind us that the best victories are the ones we share with the people we love.