Amanda Chidester poses at a Team USA photo shoot.
Not too many athletes can say they competed against their future spouse at the Olympic Games, but Team USA softball player Amanda Chidester and Mexico’s Anissa Urtez may do just that next year now that they’re engaged.
It was Urtez who announced the news on Instagram, showing off the ring Chidester had just given her.
“My forever person,” Urtez wrote. “My favorite place. You light up my world. I can’t wait for this beautiful journey together.”
Chidester and Urtez started dating in 2018 while they were teammates on Scrap Yard Fast Pitch. Both players are currently signed to the Athletes Unlimited pro softball league that held its first season in 2020. They also compete in National Pro Fastpitch; Chidester is a member of the Chicago Bandits while Urtez plays for the Cleveland Comets. While they have been both teammates and opponents before, it has never been with quite as much on the line as there will be on July 24, 2021, when Team USA and Mexico will face off at the Olympic Games.
Chidester is already on the confirmed 2021 U.S. Olympic Team roster. Urtez is likely to be there, having played a key role in qualifying Mexico’s softball team to its first-ever Olympic appearance. While Chidester will be playing in her first Olympic Games, she has played in three world championships, most recently on the 2016 gold medal-winning team. The Michigan native also had a standout college career with the University of Michigan, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2012.
