Matt Antoine poses for a portrait during the Team USA Media Summit on Sept. 25, 2017 in Park City, Utah.
It’s natural for anyone to be nervous when popping the question, but when you’re Matt Antoine, who recently retired from a career flying face-first down an ice track at more than 80 miles per hour, it probably makes it easier to control your heart rate.
Antoine and Sheila Khayami were engaged Sunday in Flagstaff, Arizona, which the Olympic bronze medalist announced on Instagram with a photo of the magic moment.
“I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences in my life, but this is by far the greatest,” Antoine wrote. “The best part is that this one is only just beginning. I can’t wait to experience it all with you.”
Antoine, a native of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, moved in 2015 to Phoenix, where Khayami is an audit consultant. The couple also has a dog, a rescue golden retriever named Dixie, who maintains a popular presence on Antoine’s Instagram account.
Antoine spent many years of his career as the top American men’s skeleton racer, which included a bronze medal at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014—the first for a U.S. men’s skeleton athlete in 12 years. Antoine finished 11th at the PyeongChang 2018 Games. He was a seven-time participant in the world championships, winning a team gold medal in 2012. He won nine world cup medals, including a gold in 2013; no other American man had even made the podium at a world cup in the eight years leading up to Antoine’s retirement in 2018.
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
