I got a gymnastics scholarship to college, fell in love with my

“I got a gymnastics scholarship to college, fell in love with my true love of my whole life—who I’m married to now—and he was a virgin too. It was very romantic.” Thus spoke Victoria Jackson, and her words shine with the innocence and sweetness of a story that unites youthful striving with the eternal mystery of love. In her memory, achievement and affection are woven together: the discipline of the athlete, the blessing of education, and the discovery of a soul’s companion. It is a tale not only of triumph but of purity, a reminder that sometimes the greatest victories in life come not in the arena, but in the heart.

The gymnastics scholarship is the beginning of this story, a symbol of discipline, sacrifice, and perseverance. The body was trained, the will was sharpened, and the doors of opportunity were opened through sweat and striving. Yet it was within those doors that she encountered something greater still: her true love, the one who would walk beside her for a lifetime. This is the paradox of life: we set forth on one path, seeking achievement, but the gods place in our way blessings beyond what we imagined. In Jackson’s case, the pursuit of athletic excellence became the unlikely road to a lifelong romance.

To speak of a true love is to echo the oldest songs of humanity. From the ballads of the troubadours to the stories of Romeo and Juliet, mankind has long cherished the idea of one soul destined for another. Jackson’s testimony affirms this ancient hope: that there exists not merely passion, but a companion who endures through all seasons. What makes her story radiant is not only the finding of this love, but the faithfulness of it—that she speaks as one still married to the very man she once discovered as a girl. In a world of fleeting affection, this constancy is heroic.

Her note that “he was a virgin too” carries with it the resonance of innocence preserved. It is not a boast of conquest, but a celebration of purity—two lives meeting not in cynicism or weariness, but in the freshness of unspoiled affection. To call this moment “very romantic” is to acknowledge that true romance lies not only in passion, but in the sacredness of a beginning shared, untarnished by regret or deceit. Like the first light of dawn, it is beautiful because it cannot be repeated, yet its glow illuminates the whole day that follows.

History offers us many such unions where youthful love blossomed into enduring strength. Consider the marriage of John and Abigail Adams, whose love letters reveal a partnership that carried them through revolution, exile, and the burdens of state. They too began as youthful companions, yet their affection endured the fires of time, becoming not merely romance but legacy. Jackson’s story belongs to this lineage: when two souls choose one another in innocence, and continue choosing, the romance grows deeper than any fleeting passion.

The lesson for us is profound: life’s greatest treasures are not always found in fame, power, or wealth, but in fidelity, companionship, and the simple yet astonishing grace of true love. The world may promise that fulfillment lies in endless variety or conquest, but stories like Jackson’s remind us that real joy often dwells in constancy—when two souls walk together from youth to age, unbroken in their devotion.

Practical action flows from this wisdom: cherish the opportunities life places before you, for within them may lie gifts beyond imagining. Pursue excellence with discipline, as Jackson did with her gymnastics, but remain open to the blessings that come unbidden—love, friendship, the ties of the heart. And when you find love, treat it as sacred, for it is rarer than any medal, more precious than any crown.

So, children of tomorrow, remember Victoria Jackson’s words. In the striving of youth, she found both triumph and tenderness; in the innocence of love, she found a romance that endures. Let her story teach you that the true victories of life are not only the ones won in the arena, but the ones carried in the heart, through the long journey of a lifetime together.