Being together for over a decade does not necessarily create marriage pressure for NFL legend Rob Gronkowski. However, the same cannot be said about his girlfriend, Camille Kostek. The former cheerleader and model has slowly started to feel the pressure as she turned another page in her book, when she turned 34 a few months back, and the sudden realization of pregnancy took over.

“When I was 21, I definitely thought I would have been married with kids by now,” said Camille Kostek during an exclusive interaction with People. “I was talking to Rob’s mom the other day, and I was like, ‘Remind me again when you had your first?’ And she was like, ‘I was 22.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m like, so behind.’ And I’ll talk to my mom about it, like, “Mom, when did you have me?’ She was like, ‘I was pregnant with you when I was 27.” I was like, ‘Wow, that’s just when my career started kicking off.'”

Kostek turned 34 in February, and by that age, her mother had already raised her. As for Gronkowski’s mom, she had multiple kids at that age. So, the model realized that she may have been late compared to the previous generation. Unlike them, she has yet to marry. The pressure for marriage is always there, but she does not want to rush things. Her mother had a different life, and she has something else planned for her. So, she wants to explore that path, rather than following her mother’s footsteps.

Kostek is 34 now, and when her mother was that age, Kostek was already seven. As for her partner, Gronkowski’s mom, she also had given birth to her kids by the time she was 34. Comparing the model’s journey to both the moms, Camille feels that she is still behind, as the former cheerleader has yet to marry. For context, Kostek also admitted that when she was 21, she had thought she would have had kids by now.

But Kostek was also reminded that everyone has their own journey to follow, as evident by her own mother and Rob’s mother’s journeys. While the two moms had kids at an early age, there is still a huge difference between their journeys.

“This is a reminder to self and a reminder to others, like, we are not meant to follow the same journey,” continued the SI Swimsuit model. “Like, “What’s meant for me will never pass me by,” is such a beautiful feeling and such a beautiful reminder that I always have to bring back to myself. I believe that this is the path I’m meant to be on. It is not always linear. It is meant to be a little curvy. But that’s what’s going to make your life journey so special and so unique and like, your own.” 

Kostek believes that everyone has a unique path in life, and she is meant to follow hers. Camille began her career as a professional cheerleader when she was still a teenager. She rose through the ranks to cheer for the New England Patriots and later started modeling for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 2017 when she first walked the runway during Miami Beach Swim Week. Just a few days before turning 23, she retired from being a cheerleader.

From cheerleading, her focus then shifted to hosting as she juggled between her modeling and hosting duties. Camille has experience hosting the Super Bowl, NASCAR, NHL, and several other events. Her modeling career also took off simultaneously. Through the years, she has worked hard until she became the brand ambassador for Dune Jewelry, Equinox Fitness, and Benrus. From there, she made campaigns for Victoria’s Secret and L’Oréal Paris.

Kostek also made cameo roles in several movies, like Free Guy and I Feel Pretty. And yet, there is always the lingering question about her marriage that follows her wherever she goes. 

Robert Gronkowski and Camille Kostek don’t want to rush their marriage

Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek started dating in 2013. They met at a Goodwill charity event and were a part of the New England Patriots, and had to keep their relationship a secret. Two years later, in September 2015, they made their relationship public.

Unfortunately, their relationship had several ups and downs, and the first and perhaps the biggest blow came when the couple split up in 2017. Kostek was “truly broken and beaten,” and yet she credits that phase of her life for bringing her some of the best things, including her SI swimsuit modeling gig. And while the couple has reconciled since, having spent 13 years together, they don’t believe they should rush getting married. 

According to US Weekly, in an episode of Kristin Cavallari’s “Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour,” the model admitted being judged by some NFL wives for not being married.

“I felt like I was seen as a lesser-than girlfriend because I didn’t have a ring on my finger,” while adding, “But you want to know what’s so interesting about that? The woman that’s coming to mind [who] judged me the most, she’s divorced.”

Costek doesn’t believe that a “marriage and a ring on [her] finger will determine [her] happiness” and instead wants the proposal to come from Gronkowski’s heart, not peer pressure. For now, the happy couple is enjoying life together at their homes in Massachusetts and Florida, while they co-parent their rescue dog Ralphie.

At the end of the day, getting married is their decision. The couple is enjoying their life and is focused on their work. One day, when the time is right, they will tie the knot.