Canada women's national team goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe announced her engagement to fellow Olympian Georgia Simmerling in an Instagram post on Monday.
Labbe, who was instrumental in securing gold with Canada at the Tokyo Olympics, posted that Simmerling, who has competed at four Olympics [two summer and two winter] in three different sports, had added another bit of bling to her collection.
The pair, who have been together since 2016, were both in Tokyo recently, with Simmerling competing in track cycling, where she finished fourth in the women's team pursuit. She won bronze in that event in Rio in 2016.
Labbe, who plays her club football for FC Rosengard in Sweden, wrote: "Through my ugly crying I could barely hear what you said, but what I do know is that spending the rest of my life with you by my side is the greatest gift.
"My heart and soul are complete with you in my life. I feel safe, calm and hopeful that no matter what comes our way we will be ok. My best friend, my soulmate, my rock, my FIANCÉE."
The duo have both overcome many obstacles on their roads to numerous Games between them, with Simmerling breaking both her legs just weeks before the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she would have competed in the Ski Cross event.
Labbe, who has played for the Washington Spirit and the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, has spoken openly about her severe depression and anxiety over the years.
She has often credited Simmerling with helping her through what she calls 'dark tunnels' of depression, writing in December 2020 on an Insta post: "I'm grateful to have someone beside me pushing me and supporting me, yelling positive affirmations to keep me going, and loving me when I'm on the brink.
"She gets me through the hardest of times so that I can experience reflections and moments like this."
The Tokyo Olympics saw the highest number of out LGBTQ+ athletes competing of any Games in the past, with 185 such athletes taking to the field, including Canada's Quinn, who won gold with Labbe to become the first out transgender athlete to win an Olympic medal.