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One of our favorite parts of the 2016 Olympic Games thus far? Michael Phelps’ number one fans, Nicole Johnson and their baby son Boomer — a.k.a. the cutest cheering section in all of Rio de Janeiro. While we swooned over the sheer adorableness of the Olympian’s fiancé and little one rooting him on as Phelps won his 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd gold medals (seriously, is this guy even human?), cheerleading for her soon-to-be hubby isn’t Nicole Johnson’s only gig. In fact, the brunette beauty has quite the lengthy resumé…
Phelps and Johnson’s wedding date is coming up fast — Johnson recently revealed that they’re tying the knot at the end of this year — but people are still wondering just who the future Mrs. Phelps really is. Well, we’ve got the scoop.
Photo: Getty Images
1. She’s a bona-fide beauty queen.
Johnson is probably best known from her beauty queen status, after snagging the title of Miss California back in 2010 and then coming in ninth at the Miss USA pageant that same year. And then in 2011 when Johnson appeared in the pageant once again to hand off her crown to the next Miss California, Phelps was the one in the cheering section, according to Harper’s Bazaar. “I’m here for one reason and one reason only,” the champion swimmer told E! News at the time. “Nicole.”
Photo: Getty Images
2. But she’s also a bit of a smarty-pants…
Johnson graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007, after earning her bachelors degree in communications with a focus on the sports and entertainment fields. (Pretty fitting that she’s now engaged to a sports god, right?) Since graduating, Johnson has worked as a marketing manager for INTA Gems & Diamonds (clearly Phelps had his work cut out of him when choosing her engagement bling!) and as the director of communications for YP. Nowadays, the brilliant beauty queen is flexing her philanthropy muscles according to her LinkedIn profile, serving as the volunteer marketing manager at the Michael Phelps Foundation — her soon-to-be hubby’s charity that offers swimming lessons to low-income families.
3. Her little one is an Olympian in training.
In May, Johnson gave birth to her and Phelps’ first child, a baby boy they named Boomer. The little social media star already has his very own Instagram and he looks all ready to follow in his daddy’s footsteps!
4. Her best friends have four legs.
Johnson is also mom to two fur babies — a pair of French bulldogs named Juno and Legend. Juno — named for the Olympian Roman goddess, of course — even has an Instagram dedicated to her cute puppy pics!
5. Johnson and Phelps’ journey to the altar hasn’t been an easy one.
It took the Olympian and beauty queen awhile to get where they are today. The pair had originally started dating in 2007 before ending their relationship four years later. “I’m pretty sure we both shared stuff with our parents and were like, ‘Oh, this is it, there’s no way we are getting back together,'” Johnson recently shared with Access Hollywood. “And then when we finally did, it was still a little rocky and figuring things out, figuring each other out because it had been some time. But we didn’t miss a beat.”
You know what they say… Good things come to those who wait!