Paul Juda returned from the 2024 Paris Olympics with more than a bronze medal. The 23-year-old gymnast, a key member of the first U.S. men’s team to stand on the Olympic podium since 2008, had also secured something far less tangible but equally defining: the steadfast presence of the woman who refused to let him walk away from his sport. His vault routine in the team final was a turning point for the squad, and his all-around 14th-place finish marked his debut on that stage. Yet, behind those results stood a private conversation that altered the course of his career.

That presence was Reyna Guggino, his longtime girlfriend and fellow gymnast at the University of Michigan. A senior at the school, Guggino has her own decorated résumé, including multiple Big Ten honors, vault titles, and a 9.950 score achieved twice in the 2024 season. She and Juda have been together since 2020, supporting each other through the rigors of NCAA gymnastics and the demands of elite international competition. Their bond, rooted in shared discipline and parallel ambitions, would prove decisive when Juda reached a professional crossroads just weeks before the Olympic trials.

The turning point came in the form of what he describes as “a stern talking-to.” As Paul Juda recounted, “I was telling her we could do all these fun things and move on with our lives, and she really had a stern talking-to with me.” Guggino did not soften her words. “I don’t think you’re going to like to hear this, but I came to one of your practices and you just kind of looked like you were giving up, and I know that’s not you.” Juda admitted the exchange was difficult to hear. “I was definitely pretty upset with her in the moment.” But Guggino pressed her point: “I want you to chase your dream, you only have one chance to chase it.”

That challenge altered his mindset. “If she didn’t have that stern talking-to with me, I probably would’ve spiraled out and maybe not even made a real push for it,” Juda said. “So to have that kind of love, to have that kind of support and to have that kind of person next to you that also understands the ins and outs of gymnastics, it’s a dream come true. Every night’s great, every hard day is easy with her. And when I come home, I’ve got nothing but a best friend. She’s the love of my life.” When the team medal became reality in Paris, Guggino was there, wearing a custom “Juda” jacket and orchestrating surprises for his family.

The relationship began during Juda’s freshman year, when he noticed Guggino on a campus visit. “I said to myself, that’s the girl I’m going to marry one day. I don’t know when, but I’m going to marry that girl for sure.” Four years later, after an Olympic podium and a career saved by a single conversation, that certainty remains. For Juda, the medal represents more than athletic achievement. It is also a testament to the moment someone who knew him best refused to accept anything less than his full effort. And Paul made sure not to take longer to ask the most important question to his lover.

How Paul Juda confessed his feelings to Reyna Guggino moments after NCAA championship victory

Paul Juda waited until the confetti had settled on the NCAA men’s gymnastics championship before unveiling a plan of his own. As the crowd remained in the stands at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on April 19, the 23-year-old Olympian invited Reyna Guggino to the competition floor. There, with his teammates looking on, he lowered himself onto one knee and presented her with a ring. The gesture was met with visible astonishment from Guggino, who raised her hands to her face before accepting.

The public proposal was accompanied by a brief declaration into the arena microphone: “You make me a better man, a better person.” In photographs shared shortly afterwards, Juda can be seen smiling as he holds the ring before the pair embrace. Guggino, a gymnast herself, later reflected on the moment in a post captioned, “YOU & ME FOREVER 🤍🥂,” noting that she was “thankful that God brought me you” and remarking, “One ring for NCAAs and one ring for me. Pretty sure I got the better deal!”

Juda’s own account of the occasion appeared on social media, where he shared video of the proposal and the aftermath, writing that he had believed winning the NCAA title would be the pinnacle of his day until the engagement followed. In the clip, Guggino can be seen leaping into his arms on the mat before the two exit the floor together. By the next morning, they were driving with music playing, Guggino holding up her engagement ring for the camera, while the caption suggested the true prize of the weekend had been neither medals nor titles, but the agreement they had just reached.