For American swimmer Ryan Murphy, winning a bronze medal in the Olympics and finding out the gender of his baby in the same day makes it even more special. After winning a bronze medal in the men’s 100 meter backstroke competition, Murphy’s wife, Bridget, surprised him with the gender of their baby. While he walked to the podium, Bridget held up a sign that read, “Ryan it’s a girl!” The swimmer said that finding out the news that he would be a girl dad just made the day even more special. “That’s a great way to find out,” he said. “That really lit me up and brought this night to a whole other level. It’s really exciting to learn that I’m going to be a girl dad.”
Murphy and his wife tied the knot in September and are expecting their first baby in January. “My life is going to change, and I’m really excited for that,” he said. “It definitely does put things into perspective. I think up to this point, swimming has been the most important thing in my life. Every major decision I make is with swimming in mind, and that’s going to change coming up.” He added, “I’m really looking forward to what’s coming, a baby girl.”
In an interview with People, Murphy’s mother, Katy, said the reveal was a last-minute decision by Bridget. “The little reveal…was a very last minute that the decision was made,” Katy said. “She had this idea and she ran it by all of us and we were like, ‘Heck, yeah, you guys were just waiting to open that little slip of paper’ and, yeah, and that’s, that’s how it all happened.”
Bridget shared a photo of her husband’s reaction to the news, writing a sweet caption along with it. She wrote, “Of all the medals you’ve won in your career, this one is by far the most special. Our biggest dream come true.”
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