Brianne Theisen-Eaton and husband Ashton Eaton have been two of the stars of the Rio Olympics.
The couple, which met in college at the University of Oregon, brought home two medals from Rio. Ashton repeated as the gold medal winner in the decathlon, while Brianne (competing for Canada) won the bronze in the heptathlon.
Not only is Brianne happy because she won a medal, but also because her accomplishment at the Rio Games will allow her to partially resolve the one downside of being married to husband Ashton. As Theisen-Eaton explained in an interview with NBC on Friday, winning her own Olympic medal helps her develop her individuality rather than be seen as an appendage of Ashton.
“That has been a sticking point for years,” Theisen-Eaton said of being seen as Ashton’s husband. “In London I got introduced as Ashton’s fiancee. So it’s a good feeling to be my own person now.”
Theisen-Eaton is an incredible athlete in her own right, and being an Olympic medalist would typically be a strong talking point in any conversation. But when you’re married to a man considered possibly the greatest decathlete of all-time, you’re going to be overshadowed at times. Luckily this should help Theisen-Eaton’s identity.
What’s also great for Brianne is despite being a star, Ashton is incredibly supportive of her and will take on critics to stand up for her.
