By Lisa Martin & Harry De Cosemo for IPC
Paris’s reputation as a city of romance has rubbed off on a handful of Para athletes who have popped the question to their sweethearts during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Enjoy our romantic rundown!
Alessandro & Arianna
Italian runner Alessandro Ossola, 36, proposed to his girlfriend Arianna at Stade de France in front of a crowd of about 40,000 people after running in his 100 metres T63 heat.
He finished fifth in his heat and missed out on qualifying for the final by 0.5 seconds.
But the feeling of disappointment was short-lived.
He got down on his prosthetic knee on the purple track and held up a silver diamond ring as she stood in the front row.
There was a yes and then the couple kissed, sending the crowd wild.
“I thought of proposing here (at Paris 2024) a few weeks ago,” he told reporters.
For a special person, he needed a special occasion and so the Paralympic Games was perfect, he said.
“I have had moments in my life, and this is another wonderful period that I am going to experience. She has shown me that, day by day, over the past five years we have been together.”
The couple met in Sanremo, Italy, in 2019.
Ossola said his fiancée is generally a shy person.
“I did it in a worldwide (setting) but she can understand I make some mistakes sometimes,” he joked.
“I saw she was emotional. I saw her very happy. That is what counts most in life,” he said.
Arianna said she was shocked.
“I was not expecting it. My only thought was: ‘He was crazy!” she said.
Tracy & Rick
US Paralympic archer Tracy Otto, 28, didn’t win a medal but is still going home “with something shiny” after her partner Rick Riessle proposed to her beneath a lit-up Eiffel Tower at night.
In a video posted on Instagram, Otto is left speechless and crying as she nodded yes. They sealed the engagement with a kiss.
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Otto credited Riessle with being integral to her Paralympic journey after she was attacked by an ex-boyfriend five years ago.
“I was on my deathbed… and to come back from that, coming back from the ashes, has been quite the journey,” she told reporters.
“He is my life, literally and figuratively. He has helped me through my injuries and helped support me through all of this.”
After she was injured, she was left alone in a nursing home.
“Ricky was the one who picked me up and saved me and brought me back to Florida so that we could live a life together and rehab and try to be back as normal as possible,” she said.
But the happy news doesn’t end there.
“We have been keeping a secret… Paralympian ✅🏹, Proposal ✅💍….Pregnant!👶Baby Riessle due January 2025!”
Otto posted on Instagram including pictures of herself in competition, her engagement ring and an ultrasound image.
Rogerio & Edwarda
Brazilian badminton player Rogerio Junior Xavier de Oliveira, 23, proposed to sitting volleyball player Edwarda de Oliveira Dias, 25.
“She is the love of my life and a part of all my dreams,” he told reporters.
“She motivated me, made me believe and showed me the right path here. I am so happy. To ask her to marry me at that moment was incredible for me.”
De Oliveira Dias said it was a huge surprise when she saw the sign: “Edwarda Will You Marry Me?”
“It’s a dream come true, but I’m not used to the attention. I wasn’t expecting it (the proposal), but I’m very lucky to have him. I’m still trying to come to terms with what’s happened,” she told reporters.
Lionel & Jes
Spanish Para triathlete Lionel Morales Gonzalez proposed to his girlfriend Jes at the Paralympic Village.
In a video posted to Instagram, he pulled out a ring from his pocket and got down on his prosthetic knee in front of his unsuspecting partner.
“You have changed my world for the better and made it very beautiful.” he told her in Spanish.
She nodded yes and the pair hugged.
“I had my sights set on doing it in Paris,” the 51-year-old told the IPC.
“Once this is all over, it will be time to start planning the wedding.”
