Getty U.S. Olympics gymnast MyKayla Skinner, left, married husband Jonas Harmer on November 14, 2019.
MyKayla Skinner, 24, is the oldest gymnast competing on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team, however, she’s one of the youngest athletes to be married while representing her country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
MyKayla Brooke Skinner Harmer married husband Jonas Harmer in November 2019, one month after the couple got engaged. Skinner revealed on her YouTube channel that she was first introduced to Harmer by a mutual friend.
While it seems like they got married super quickly, Skinner explained that they’d been dating for two years before they got engaged. “We talked about getting married and a couple of months before I went to Worlds selection camp (in German), we decided it was best to get married before the Olympics. We were ready for it.”
“It seemed really fast,” Harmer acknowledged, “but we had planned everything like months before I even proposed. I just couldn’t propose because she was in Germany for so long.”
Harmer, a sales manager for Vivint Smart Home, according to his LinkedIn profile, studied business at Brigham Youn University. He also helps run his wife’s YouTube channel.
The Massive Height Difference Between Skinner & Her Husband Is Adorable
Skinner, who’s 5-foot-1, didn’t believe it could ever work out with Harmer, who’s 6-foot-7, because of their massive height difference.
“I thought Jonas was the cutest guy I’d even seen,” Skinner said of her first impression of Harmer. “And I thought he wasn’t going to like me because I was super short. So I didn’t know if it was going to work out…. At first, it really hurt my neck looking up all the time, but I don’t know. I guess it all worked out.”
The couple has since leaned into the humor of their height difference. Harmer and Skinner both share adorable photos and videos highlighting their mismatched heights.
Harmer Is Skinner’s Biggest Fan & Support System
Skinner admittedly struggled after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were delayed last year. Not only did she suffer a foot injury, but the elite gymnast also tested positive for coronavirus and came down with pneumonia.
Despite these injuries and illnesses, Skinner showed up to the U.S. Olympic trials and placed fifth overall, solidifying her spot as an individual competitor. Harmer couldn’t be more proud of Skinner.
He wrote on Instagram, “No matter what happens tonight, she’s always a winner to me. So so proud of you MyKayla for everything you’ve done to get here!!”
An update on Simone Biles:
Just announced on NBC, Simone Biles withdraws from the Uneven Bars and Vault events. She will be replaced in Vault by MyKayla Skinner.
It is still unclear if she will compete in the other two individual events she’s eligible for. #TokyoOlympics
Following the preliminary rounds on July 25, Skinner failed to qualify for an event after competing on all four apparatuses, which meant her journey competing in Tokyo was over. However, that suddenly changed after Biles’ removed herself from the competition. Skinner will take her spot and compete for a medal in Vault.
Following her initial early exit from the competition, Skinner admitted she was “heartbroken.”
Heart broken💔 but feeling sooo humbled and blessed for the amazing performance I had tonight! You have all brought me to tears thanks for being my biggest cheerleaders! Love u all😘 xoxo myk
She tweeted, “Heart broken 💔 but feeling sooo humbled and blessed for the amazing performance I had tonight! You have all brought me to tears thanks for being my biggest cheerleaders! Love u all😘 xoxo myk,” Skinner tweeted.”#NeverGiveUp” she added in a follow-up tweet.
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