Bronte Campbell quietly announced her engagement to her boyfriend Benfield Lainchbury (35) on Friday in a series of touching photos on Instagram.
The 30-year-old Australian swimmer shared a carousel of adorable couple photos, with the second photo standing out: Bronte sporting a stunning east-west emerald-cut diamond on a gold band on her ring finger.
Another photo is from the moment after the proposal, when the couple enjoyed a golden sunset on a boat in Venice, Italy.
Bronte and Benfield took the selfie with equally big smiles, placing her left hand and the new piece of jewelry on his bicep.
The happy couple holidayed in Europe after the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Bronte took home a gold medal in the women’s 4 x 100m relay final for Australia. That makes her a four-time Olympic gold medallist, but it’s the diamond she brought home from Europe that everyone is talking about.
“What a week celebrating all that has happened and all the exciting things yet to come. I love you @ieldbenf. The easiest yes of my life,” Bronte captioned the post.
The other two photos show her in a yellow summer dress, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek. The table is beautifully set in the garden for a meal the couple enjoyed during their trip.
Bronte Campbell has quietly announced her engagement to long-term boyfriend Benfield Lainchbury in a series of photos from their recent European holiday, with both pictured
The four-time Olympic gold medalist shared a photo showing off the stunning east-west emerald-cut diamond on a gold band
The happy couple vacationed in Europe following the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where Benfield proposed to Bronte during a golden hour boat ride in Venice, Italy
The couple’s engagement news was met with much sympathy from friends, family and fellow athletes.
“YEAHHHHH, THE POST WE ALL WANTED,” fellow Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister responded, ending her sentence with a crying emoji.
Swimmer Shayna Jack added: ‘Congratulations to both of you.’
“Congratulations mate,” said Paul Parks, owner of the brewery in Bondi. “Was the ring gold, silver or bronze?”
The blushing bride-to-be has now shared intimate moments from her proposal
“I never know what to do with my hands,” she captioned the photo as she showed off her new diamond after winning her fourth gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
TV presenter Roz Kelly wrote: ‘Congratulations, I’m so happy for you,’ with a red heart.
Motivational speaker Turia Pitt also shared her excitement, shouting, “OMG!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!”
Notably absent from the public congratulations was Bronte’s older sister and fellow Olympic swimmer, Cate Campbell.
However, given their close bond, it is likely that the sisters have celebrated their birthday together in private before.
Notably absent from the public congratulations was Bronte’s older sister and fellow Olympic swimmer, Cate Campbell
Bronte and her fiancé have known each other since childhood and Benfield has been with the swimmer since they started dating in 2016.
He played a key role in the swimmer’s decision to return to the pool after an 18-month break following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Averaging 19,000 strokes a week in the water was physically and mentally taxing, and her meager $30,000 a year as a full-time athlete didn’t help matters.
After taking a job as a senior consultant at leading accounting and professional services firm Ernst & Young over two years ago, Bronte felt like her swimming pool days were finally over.
But after an 18-month absence from the sport – allowing a ‘broken’ Bronte to rest serious shoulder, neck, back and hip injuries – the lure of a fourth Games has proven irresistible.
With the support of her partner, she started swimming again and continued on the tough path, which now earned her her fourth gold medal.
Bronte and her fiancé have known each other since childhood and Benfield has been by the swimmer’s side since they started dating in 2016
Bronte moved from Brisbane to Canberra and began training at the Australian Institute of Sport under new coach Shannon Rollason.
Impressive results followed, including victory in the women’s 100m freestyle at the South Australian State Open Championships in January and the women’s 50m freestyle at the NSW State Championships in March.
Thorough stretching through yoga and rehabilitating her injuries were crucial, as was Rollason’s growing influence.
Impressive results followed, including victory in the women’s 100m freestyle at the South Australian State Open Championships in January and the women’s 50m freestyle at the NSW State Championships in March.
Thorough stretching through yoga and rehabilitating her injuries were crucial, as was Rollason’s growing influence.
Campbell couldn’t have timed her time better as the Australian swimming competitions in preparation for the Paris Olympics kicked off in Brisbane on June 10.
“The decision to come back… when you look at all the ramifications of it: the move, the impact on my relationship, the impact on my finances, the impact on my job… it was huge,” she said.
As a two-time Olympic champion and former world champion, Campbell achieved more than most ever would with her racing goggles.
She also does not rule out participating in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where she will be 34 years old.
“Whether I still want to do it when LA comes around, that’s the question,” she told News Corp.
‘I asked myself that after Tokyo, do I still want to do this? The answer yes meant I came back to it.
‘I might be in a slightly different phase of my life by then, [with marriage and children] We’ll see about that.’