These 30 Athlete’s Love Stories Are Proof That True Love Never Discriminates

TrendingJune 21, 2024

Rachele Bruni & Diletta Faina – 6 Years Together

Rachele Bruni has made waves in the Italian swimming world. She specializes in open water-long distance races and is a stunner during Summer Olympics. Apart from that, she also hit the headlines when she confessed her love for her girlfriend, Diletta Faina while celebrating her 2016 silver medal win in Olympics.

The pair had never hidden their relationship and orientation, yet they weren’t vocal about it either. That is why Bruni’s proud declaration of love was praised by many. She shared with the Italian newspaper La Stampa that her victory was for people who supported her, not just in her swimming career but also for her true identity.

Brittany Bowe & Manon Kamminga – Undisclosed

We cannot talk about United States speed skating without mentioning Brittany Bowe and her accomplishments. She owns eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals from her participation in the inline speed skating championship worldwide. She also holds the world record for the 1000 meters distance.

Apart from her mind-blowing achievements, what the world would also love to know is that she is in a serious relationship with Manon Kamminga. Although Kamminga maintains a more private life, they often share their love and appreciation for each other through several Instagram posts. The pair has also been spotted going to beaches and clubs.

Guillaume Cizeron – Undisclosed

Guillaume Cizeron has broken world records 28 times with his partner in ice dancing, Gabriella Papadakis. This five-time world champion duo is also a five-time European champion, a ten-time gold medalist in the Grand Prix series, and the 2022 Olympic champion. Skating experts worldwide have acclaimed their unique balletic style in dancing.

With such stardom, it is not surprising to know that Cizeron has been a subject of curiosity among the media, especially after he came out and shared a public post on Instagram with his boyfriend. Although, he never publicized the identity of his love interest and seemed to want to keep it that way.

Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird – 5 Years Together

Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are sports superstars in their own right. Rapinoe is a professional soccer player serving as the winger and captain of OL Reign and the United States national team. On the other hand, Bird is a professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm.

Bird surprised fans when she came out in 2017 and revealed that she had been dating Rapinoe since late 2016. Fans warmly accepted their relationship as they became the first gay couple to cover ESPN’s The Body Issue. Bird shared with The Players’ Pod that they learn a lot from each other, including being true to themselves. They announced their engagement in 2020.

Jason Collins & Brunson Green – 8 Years Together

Jason Collins is a prominent name in the world of basketball. He has lent his exemplary center skills to the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons. He has played for some of the biggest teams, including the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, and Brooklyn Nets. At the end of the 2012-2013 season, he publicly came out and was praised for doing so.

Collins also wrote in a Sports Illustrated issue that he was asking for privacy regarding the specific details of his life. In 2014, he gladly shared his relationship with award-winning producer Brunson Green. Green is the president of a Los Angeles feature film production company, Harbinger Pictures.

Stefanie Dolson – Single

The New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association is not without Stefanie Dolson. Her exemplary center skills had her play for the UConn women’s basketball team and garnered back-to-back championships in 2013 and 2014. She also participated in the 2020 Summer Olympics and earned the gold medal.

Dolson is happily single in 2022, despite rumors that she was already married. When she came out in 2016, she told ESPN Magazine that she was in the pursuit of leading an authentic life. She wanted to be an inspiration for those girls who are afraid to come out and for every people to support anyone regardless of gender.

Robbie Rogers & Greg Berlanti – 9 Years Together

Robbie Rogers and Greg Berlanti had launched successful individual careers even before they became one. Rogers rose to prominence for representing the United States men’s national soccer team as a winger and left back. On the other hand, Berlanti is the creator of the hit series “Dawson’s Creek” and “Riverdale,” among others.

It all started when a mutual friend introduced them at a 2013 rooftop Pride party. Sparks flew, and a series of dates followed. Not too long, they tied the knot in Malibu, California, in 2017. They had a son whom they welcomed through surrogacy and a daughter. Berlanti is also the director of the highest-grossing film “Love, Simon.”

Tom Daley & Dustin Lance Black – 9 Years Together

Tom Daley is a hallmark in British diving, being the first British driver to win four Olympic medals. Among his long list of accolades is his 2020 Olympic top medal in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform. He is also a social media personality and garnered a substantial following on YouTube.

In fact, it was in his 2013 YouTube video that he announced his relationship with Oscar-winning film producer, screenwriter, and director Dustin Lance Black. Their romance might have started as love at first sight, yet it brought them to marriage in 2017 at Bovey Castle, Devon. The pair welcomed a son in 2018 via surrogacy.

Michael Sam – Single

Michael Sam is best known for his contribution as a defensive lineman and assistant defensive line coach for the Barcelona Dragons in the European League of Football. By the end of his college stint, he publicly came out and became the first of many teams and seasons in football.

In 2015, he announced on his social media accounts that he would bid farewell to professional football. He also ventured into a career as an author and motivational speaker. In an interview with The New York Times and ESPN, Sam mentioned that he is proud and open about his true identity. He is reportedly single as of 2022.

Danell Leyva – Single

Danell Leyva is almost synonymous with his successful career in gymnastics. His Cuban-American descent led him to compete for the United States. It brought home the 2012 Olympic individual all-around bronze medal and the 2016 Olympic parallel bars and horizontal bars silver medal.

After gymnastics, he pursued his interest in media career and acting. He enrolled in acting classes, went on to film television advertisements, and purchased the production company, Parallel Entertainment. He also appeared on a Nickelodeon show and was a choreography consultant on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Leyva is single in 2022, yet he had a past relationship with Giulianna Pino, which ended in 2020.

Rachele Bruni & Diletta Faina – 6 Years Together

Ryan Russell & Corey O’Brien – 3 years together

Ryan Russell rose to prominence for his defensive end skills, which he played for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League. With this, he is also a regular guest in numerous interviews. When he wrote for ESPN in 2019, he publicly came out through an essay.

At that time, he also introduced his boyfriend, Corey O’Brien, a professional dancer. Since then, the couple had been seen going out on dates, one of which was their trip to London. They also launched a joint YouTube channel called Corey & Russ, aiming to share their story to the world and inspire.

David Denson – Single

David Denson is reportedly single as of 2022. Yet, people had always remembered when he first publicly came out in 2015 and became the first active player affiliated with Major League Baseball to do so. He served as the first baseman and outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

As noted by The Turf, the reaction and response of his teammates were more than what he expected. Denson later shared how he got all the support and respect from his teammates, both as a fellow player and an individual. That also fueled his courage to share his identity with the world.

Ally Carda & Kelly Kretschman – Undisclosed

Ally Carda and Kelly Kretschman have launched individual success in their respective teams apart from their success as a couple. Carda is a softball pitcher and first baseman who earned the 2020 Summer Olympics silver medal win when she represented the USA team. On the other hand, Kretschman is now a softball coach who once played as an All-Star softball outfielder.

Despite their public stance and although they are open with their identity, the pair preferred to keep their relationship private. Even if details of their romantic history together are secret, we can at least say they have been happily in love since then.

Alice Bellandi & Chiara Verger – Undisclosed

Alice Bellandi has made it to various headlines for consecutive wins in the field of judoka. In the 2019 Judo Grand Prix Tel Aviv, she grabbed the silver medal in the 70kg category. She also made it to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

In 2022, she attended the Judo Grand Prix Almada and the Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv and brought home medals. Her list of achievements is brag-worthy, but behind all these is a loving partner, Chiara Verger. Bellandi often post photos of them with lovely odes on her Instagram account. She once described Verger as her victory and starting point.

Astrid Guyart & Julie Lavet – Undisclosed

Astrid Guyart is an aerospace engineer, author, and right-handed foil fencer who is a three-time Olympian. The year 2021 was big for Guyart, as it was when she garnered the Olympic silver medal in the women’s team foil. It was also the year she publicly came out and married her partner, Julie Lavet.

On Guyart’s Instagram account, she shared photos of their wedding day. She wrote in the caption that the emotions of happiness and sweetness from everything were overwhelming. The media and fans have noticed their big cake that revealed a beautiful six-layer rainbow when sliced and two female Legos on top.