DiRado and Andrews have been together since college. (Instagram/mayadorito)
Maya DiRado isn’t the only star swimmer in her household. Her husband, Rob Andrews, is no stranger to the spotlight himself, having competed at Stanford.
Andrews was in Rio cheering on DiRado Friday night when she engineered a stunning comeback to win gold in the 200-meter backstroke.
Here’s what you need to know about the couple:
1. They Met at Stanford, Where Each of Them Were Varsity Swimmers
As I said, Andrews is no stranger to the swimming spotlight. Each of them were varsity swimmers at Stanford University. And though he’s no Olympian, Andrews’ college career was every bit as successful as Dirado’s. He was an All-American multiple times. Skip Kenney, Stanford swim coach, called Andrews a “poster boy” for athletes at the university, calling him “one of our leaders” and saying he “brings his ‘A’ game to practice every single day.”
2. The Couple Was Married on September 19, 2015
DiRado and Andrews at their wedding. (Instagram/mayadorito)
Meeting at school (Andrews is from the Class of ’12, while DiRado is the Class of ’14), the couple’s relationship progressed very quickly, and a year after DiRado was out of school, the couple was wed on September 19th, 2015. Perhaps most impressively, DiRado not only trained for the Olympics and participated in events all over the world in 2014 and 2015, but she planned her wedding at the same time.
3. Andrews Is a Software Engineer Who Works At Renaissance Learning
Andrews has worked as a software engineer for several years. (Instagram/mayadorito)
Andrews graduated from Stanford in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in biomechanical engineering, according to his LinkedIn page. From there, he spent time as a medical intern for the San Francisco 49ers, as well as working both as a research and teaching assistant in various departments at Stanford University.
In 2014, he moved to working as a software engineer, a position he still holds. For 9 months in 2014 and 2015 he was an engineer for UClass. Since February, he’s worked in the Bay Area at Renaissance Learning as a senior software engineer.
4. DiRado Credits Andrews For Keeping Her Keeping Her Calm As She Prepares For the Olympics
DiRado has trained intensely for the 2016 Olympics. (Getty)
Training for an Olympic ceremony is arduous, incredibly stressful work that not everyone is equipped to handle. Luckily for DiRado, she has an excellent support system, crediting Andrews with keeping her stress levels low. Talking to USA Today, she credits his knowledge of swimming training for helping him know what to do to help her, saying “like, he gets it, he gets swimming and knows how big of a deal this is and obviously wants it for me — but I know at the end of the day that, I have that support and that love and that, you know, it’s going to be fine.”
5. He and DiRado Will be Vacationing in Europe After the Olympics
Andrews congratulating DiRado as she wins an Olympic medal. (Getty)
Once the Olympics come to a close, DiRado begins a new chapter of her life. She and Andrews are moving to Atlanta afterward so she can work at McKinsey &a Company as a business consultant. The firm actually hired her in 2014 and allowed her to train for the Olympics.
But in between the Olympics and the new job, she and Andrews, who was by her side in Rio for her amazing accomplishments, will be taking a vacation. According to People, the couple is traveling to London and Paris from Rio to take some time to unwind, spend some time together, and celebrate. As DiRado put it, “How much weight can I gain per day eating croissants?”