The 2016 Summer Olympics are underway, which means it’s time to shine the spotlight on Rio’s unsung heroes: the men married to decorated Olympians. We dare you not to tear up while reading about these six inspiring husbands of Olympic medal winners.
Zander Albini
Albini may not get as much press as his three-time gold medalist wife, but he’s no slouch. Albini’s spectacular career in orthopedic surgery all started when he got a 4 on the AP biology exam. He went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Penn State and eventually make $500,000 a year. That’s probably what inspired his wife to work so hard at long distance running!
Mark O’Dare
O’Dare was well known in Boston stand-up comedy circles long before his wife made international headlines with her domination in the Olympic synchronized swimming competition. The twice-crowned “Funniest Guy In Newton” even skipped an open-mic night to cheer on his wife in Rio this year. Gives you chills, doesn’t it?
Omar Charles
For some reason, Charles’ skills as a sports broadcaster usually take the backseat to his wife’s record-breaking beach volleyball and modeling career. Not only has Charles worked at ESPN2 for a year and a half, but he can name all the World Series winners of the past two decades. Gods do walk among us!
Andre Jackson
The husband of the most decorated Olympic sprinter had quite a running career of his own in high school. While he has long since abandoned running to pursue a career in dentistry, his athleticism was once breathtaking to behold. What an inspiration!
Gregory Mason
The husband of the woman hailed as the best fencer in the world has a story worthy of the history books, too. Not only did he overcome his Catholic upbringing in favor of atheism, but he was able to start a blog about it. He’s paved the way for all 213 of his readers, so where’s his inspirational Samsung ad?
Sam Wao
Wao’s wife might currently hold the world record for freestyle swimming, but he is the top ranked Mario Kart player among his group of friends. While Wao doesn’t have a career of his own, his buddies describe him as the kind of guy who’s always around to grab a drink with on a weekday. What a hero!
It’s men like these that make you totally reconsider what inspiring means. Can we get these guys medals already?
