A winning pair! Olympians Laurie Hernandez and Charlotte Drury have won plenty of medals — and they’ve also won each other’s heart.
Hernandez and Drury, who have both been members of the U.S. National Gymnastics team and competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, respectively, quietly began dating in December 2020. Though they’ve dropped hints about their relationship status on social media, the duo didn’t confirm their romance until the following year, as they celebrated their first anniversary.
“Cheesin! Happy year!!!!!!!!!!” Hernandez wrote via Instagram in December 2021, sharing a photo of Drury kissing her on the cheek.
The New Jersey native was part of the iconic Final Five gymnastics team at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she won a silver medal on the balance beam and a gold medal as part of the team event. “I didn’t realize [how passionate I was about gymnastics] until after Rio,” Hernandez told NBC News in October 2020, before reflecting on how her parents have supported her throughout her career.
“We had all sat down away from cameras and talked about it. And they were like, ‘We really questioned if we were being good parents by letting you stay in it because you’re getting hurt over and over again,’ which is part of the sport,” she continued. “But after getting surgery in 2014, they saw how determined I was and they were like, ‘OK, we can’t pull that away from her.'”
Drury is also passionate about gymnastics and almost competed alongside Hernandez at the 2016 Olympics but was forced to pull out after suffering a foot injury. The California native — who has been a member of the USA National Trampoline and Tumbling National Team since 2011 — got a second chance at Olympic glory in 2021 and attended the Tokyo Games as an alternate. In addition to gymnastics, Drury is also an advocate for Type 1 Diabetes, having been diagnosed ahead of Olympic trials.
“A month before the first Olympic trial of 2021 I knew something was wrong. I spent the last year, busting my ass, and pushing through the hardest trainings of my life to show up at national team camp in March and watch the other girls out jump me by miles,” she wrote via Instagram in July 2021. “[The diagnosis] felt insurmountable and terrifying and there was just no way I could figure out how to manage a life changing diagnosis and get into Olympic shape in time for the first trial in 3 weeks.”
However, with the help of her coach, family and loved ones, Drury was able to manage her condition and earned a spot on the Olympic team. “Words can’t describe how hard this year has been … but through all the adversity I’m most proud of myself for not giving up. I found out that I’m tougher than I think I am,” she added.
Hernandez has supported Drury both on the mat and with her advocacy work. “[I’m] so, so proud,” the former wrote in July 2021 in the comments of one of Drury’s Instagram posts.
Keep scrolling to see how Hernandez and Drury have become the newest Olympics power couple:
Though Drury had previously made brief appearances in several of Hernandez's TikTok videos, the Olympic medalist gushed over her girlfriend for the first time on social media in the comments of a goofy video. "Charlotte Drury is my favorite person," Hernandez wrote at the time. Courtesy of Laurie Hernandez/Instagram
The pair commemorated a date night with a set of grinning selfies on Instagram, showcasing their coordinating ensembles. "We went outside! We had a great time!!" Hernandez wrote at the time. Courtesy of Laurie Hernandez/Instagram
Hernandez and Drury responded to a TikTok comment asking if they were "besties or [dating]" by posing as the "women with bunny ears" emoji, implying that they were more than just friends. Courtesy of Laurie Hernandez/TikTok
Drury posted a photo embracing Hernandez during a trip to Washington with some of their friends on Instagram. "We made it!" she wrote at the time. Courtesy of Charlotte Drury/Instagram
The duo revealed that they had actually been dating since December 2020 with a pair of anniversary posts on social media. Drury chose a photo from their trip to Seattle, writing simply that it had been the "best year." Courtesy of Laurie Hernandez/Instagram
On Christmas Eve, Drury posted a TikTok video from a night out that showed the couple bickering over Hernandez's indecisiveness. "It’s a miracle any decision gets made in this household," she captioned the clip, referencing her girlfriend's reluctance to decide on what to wish for while blowing out a candle. "You prevented a full-on existential crisis by solving this with me," the Dancing With the Stars season 23 champion responded in the comments, with Drury agreeing that "it’s what I’m here for." Courtesy of Charlotte Drury/TikTok
The twosome celebrated Valentine's Day with a selfie from a romantic walk along the water. "Everyday," Drury wrote via Instagram, while Hernandez confessed that the trampoline gymnast had "my entire heart." Courtesy of Charlotte Drury/Instagram
The photographer gave followers a glimpse into her everyday life with Hernandez with a series of pics taken inside their apartment Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock
from Celebrity News – Us Weekly https://ift.tt/76v0Pac
Comments
Post a Comment