Taking the next step! Derrick Kosinski and girlfriend Nicole Gruman are engaged, the couple exclusively reveals to Us Weekly. Kosinski, 37, proposed to Gruman, 26, in West Virginia on Tuesday, January 19.
The proposal took place at Coopers Rock State Forest, a place where the pair enjoy hiking together. “He had a set up with rose petals in a heart shape, a ‘Marry Me’ sign and played the song, ‘A Thousand Years,'” the New York native tells Us. “It was really romantic and sweet. I’m so excited for our future together.”
Though the duo have been together for three years, the pandemic made the three-time Challenge champion fall even more in love with Gruman during the coronavirus pandemic, as she works as a registered nurse in Long Island, New York.
“She’s the real champ,” the Road Rules alum tells Us. “I’ve been home recording podcasts while she’s been fighting a real-life horror movie-like pandemic. I love her, I’m proud of her and I admire her.”
The “Challenge Mania” podcast cohost continues, “I have a huge amount of respect for all the healthcare workers who stay quiet and modest and just put their head down and go to work without complaining, especially this one.”
Kosinski, who shares a 12-year-old son with his ex-wife, added that his fiancée is “beautiful inside and out — with or without makeup” and fits perfectly into his modern family.
“Nicole and my son have a great relationship and laugh together like two goofballs, taking turns making weird sounds and faces,” he adds. “I’m excited for a fun-filled future together.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of the proposal.
