Fired! Olympian Adam Rippon reveals that he and boyfriend Jussi-Pekka Kajaala proposed to each other in Finland: ‘He’s my cheerleader’
- Olympic athlete Adam Rippon is engaged to boyfriend Jussi-Pekka Kajaala
- Rippon, 31, revealed the happy news via Instagram on Wednesday
- The duo who met on Tinder in 2018 asked the question of each other in Finland last December
- Having both chosen the rings together, Rippon revealed how he and his partner knelt for the romantic wedding
- The figure skater won the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and was one of the first openly gay men to compete for the US team.
Olympic athlete Adam Rippon announced that he is engaged to boyfriend Jussi-Pekka Kajaala.
The 31-year-old figure skater – who won the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and was one of the first gay men openly to compete for the U.S. team – confirmed the exciting news via Instagram on Wednesday.
He also revealed that the pair asked the question of each other while in Finland in December last year, with the two kneeling, having also chosen the rings together.
Fired! Olympian Adam Rippon reveals that he and boyfriend Jussi-Pekka Kajaala proposed to each other in Finland: ‘He’s my cheerleader’
The duo has had a long-distance relationship since their first meeting at Tinder in 2018, with Rippon residing in Los Angeles and Kajaala in their home Finland.
“I am excited to marry JP because he is simply the best,” Rippon told People in a statement. ‘He’s kind, he’s funny and he’s as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside (which is a lot). He’s my cheerleader and I’m his. I just love him so much. ‘
The two are said to kneel while doing “everything together” and even bought their rings at the same time.
Together: the pair would have chosen their rings together and they both knelt for the proposal in Finland last year
Fofo: It is said that the two knelt while doing “everything together” and even bought their rings at the same time as the others
“We did it at the same time, so we both came up with it!” he added.
However, Rippon says they have not yet started planning the wedding, as they will struggle to bring the two sides of the family together in the midst of a pandemic.
In 2019, Rippon was asked if the wedding was planned for the couple, replying: ‘It would be good. My whole family loves him and he is an amazing guy. My family loves him, my mother loves him. ‘
The pair became official on Instagram with their relationship in 2018, when Rippon posted a shirtless photo of the pair with the caption: ‘Good Finnish boys first’ along with an Finland flag emoji.
Separated time: the couple was forced to spend much of their time in the middle of the pandemic
Kajaala – who is gaining followers on his own YouTube channel – also shared the same snapshot of engagement on his Instagram on Wednesday, with the caption: ‘No woman no cry.’
Rippon explained to the GMA how the pandemic forced the pair to spend much of last year apart, which only made their feelings stronger.
“We are used to having a long-distance relationship, but we had more time to stay in touch with each other because we work from home,” said Rippon.
Making it work: The duo has been in a long-distance relationship since their first meeting at Tinder in 2018, with Rippon residing in Los Angeles and Kajaala in Finland