Yellow Jacket Alumnus Pulls off Gold Medal Proposal
Georgia Tech alumnus Connor Watkins and Team USA gold medalist Breezy Johnson after getting engaged at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Submitted photo.
It was already a memorable trip to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics for skier Breezy Johnson, who captured a gold medal in the Alpine Skiing Women’s Downhill, but there was one more celebration to come days later. After the super-G race on Feb. 12, Johnson’s boyfriend, Connor Watkins, a Georgia Tech alumnus, dropped to one knee in the finish area of the course and proposed to the Olympic gold medalist.
Watkins, a business administration graduate, says that his experience as a Tech student — learning to listen carefully and how to find creative solutions — helped him plan his proposal. When Johnson mentioned that she wanted an Olympic proposal, Watkins listened and took note. From there, he says it took “a village and some proper planning” with Team USA and NBC to make the moment happen.
As to the timing of the proposal, Watkins knew he wanted to wait until Johnson’s competitions had wrapped up to ensure the focus stayed on the sport.
“I’m just so proud of Breezy and what she’s accomplished with her downhill gold medal,” he said.
In the days since, the couple has been showered with support from friends, family, teammates, and social media. Even Taylor Swift commented on Johnson’s Instagram post with a congratulatory message in response to the lyrics of the pop star’s song “The Alchemy” being printed on the ring box Watkins presented to Johnson.
With Johnson done competing, the newly engaged couple has been splitting time between Cortina, Livigno, and Milan, Italy, to watch other Olympic events. After the Games are over, they’ll have downtime as Johnson rests before the FIS Ski World Cup Season. When they have time in their schedule, Watkins looks forward to bringing Johnson to Tech and getting her a ride in the Ramblin’ Wreck.