Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus has announced her engagement to boyfriend Mac Powell. The couple shared the news on Instagram on Monday, posting photos from the proposal that took place on September 7, which was Titmus' 26th birthday.
Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, met Powell, an investment analyst, on a blind date shortly after the 2024 Paris Olympics. She captioned the engagement photos with "You + me forever."
The 26-year-old, who holds the world record in the women's 200-meter freestyle, previously announced her retirement from swimming earlier in the year to focus on her relationship and family.
In July, Titmus spoke about undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumors from one of her ovaries, an experience that significantly altered her perspective on life. "It was probably the most pivotal moment in time where I can pinpoint an exact moment I had a huge perspective shift," she told News Corp. "It was something very challenging to deal with in the lead up to an Olympic Games where I had big goals to win gold medals and was expected to perform."
Titmus stated that the health scare profoundly influenced her outlook. "It made me realize very quickly what I want from my life and how easily that could've been taken from me," she said. "It certainly has played into my opinion on how important family is and they are the one thing you've got to cherish in life."
Following her retirement, Titmus relocated from Queensland to Melbourne to live with Powell. "I can't believe the cards the universe dealt me post Olympics and the precision of the timing, the perfect timing that it was for him to come into my life," she remarked. "It 100 per cent was meant to be at that point in time."
The couple's introduction came through a blind date arranged by a mutual friend. Powell, who had not watched the Olympics, did not initially recognize Titmus, which she said allowed their connection to develop organically. "He is incredible," Titmus said. "We come from totally different walks of life. I feel very grateful he's never looked at me as Ariarne the swimmer that everyone sees. He's taught me the importance of family. [He's also taught me] how precious time is with the people that you love and I'm very grateful that I found someone that was going to support me either way."