Photo: INSTAGRAM
The couple is married and they have one son together.
By Roman Chiarello — Written on Jul 24, 2018
In July 2018, Ryan Lochte was suspended from swimming until July 2019 after receiving an IV infusion of various vitamins. Lochte said during a press conference that, though he did not consume any banned substances, he violated a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency rule against consuming any substance in an amount exceeding 100 milliliters through an IV.
Though Lochte’s career has suffered a setback with this news, his personal life is still as strong as ever. After all, Lochte announced that he had taken the vitamins along with his son and his wife, Kayla Rae Reid, after both had recently fallen ill.
Lochte and Reid’s relationship, which began in 2016, has been full of twists and turns, including a mountaintop marriage proposal and a battle with postpartum depression. Read on to find out more about Lochte's wife Kayla Rae Reid and her relationship with one of the country’s most decorated Olympians.
1. They apparently met on Tinder.
Both Reid and Lochte have both commented on the beginnings of their relationship. Lochte revealed to Us Weekly in March 2016 that he was in a relationship. Though he didn’t mention Reid by name, he ruled out the possibility that he was dating anyone from the Olympic swimming community. “It just kind of happened, but now that I have someone it is stability and it is nice. It’s also really nice having someone who isn't all into swimming and doesn't really know much,” Lochte said.
Meanwhile, in an October 2016 interview with The Daily Mail, Reid mused about whether they met on Tinder. “He was on Tinder. I might be on Tinder,” she said. “That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
2. Kayla sees more to Ryan than just his superstar persona.
In that same interview, Reid explained that she has gotten to know Lochte beyond his widespread fame and public persona, saying that he “has more depth than you could possibly imagine. He has this mental focus where he can just shut the entire world out and perform even when millions are watching.”
“It’s so inspiring. He is kind, humble and, of course, unbelievably good-looking,” she added.
3. Kayla met Ryan’s mom early in the relationship.
An Instagram post from May 2016 shows Lochte, his mom, and Reid meeting for the first time. “Dinner with MY two gems: my mom and @kaylaraereid,” the post’s caption reads.
Reid also commented in her interview with The Daily Mail that she has been getting along well with Lochte's family, which she describes as “awesome” and “welcoming.”
“His family are awesome,” she said. “They have been so welcoming to me. He hasn’t met my family but that might happen, we’ll have to see.”
4. Ryan proposed to Kayla at the top of the mountain.
After proposing to Reid in October 2016, Lochte told Us Weekly all about what was going through his mind during the proposal, which took place at the top of a mountain in Malibu. He explained that he was nervous throughout the helicopter ride up to the summit, but that it thankfully all worked out in the end.
“I couldn’t get the ring out of my pocket and I was stumbling over all of my words! And I was just so clammy and nervous — but then I finally got the courage to ask, ‘Will you marry me?’ And she said yes! And I was like, ‘Yeah! My life is complete!’”
5. The couple had their first son in June 2017.
Reid and Lochte welcomed their first son, Caiden Zane Lochte, on June 8, 2017. “Never seen a miracle happen before. Until this morning at 5:46 a.m. when Caiden Zane Lochte was born,” Lochte posted on Instagram after his son was born.
Ahead of her son’s birth, Reid told People that she was looking forward to the changes ahead. “When you have a kid, your entire life changes in so many ways,” she said. “We’re both in this realm of shock like, ‘What’s going to happen?’ There is going to be so much good change.”
6. Ryan and Kayla married in January 2018.
Reid and Lochte got married in January of 2018, choosing to wait until after their son’s birth. “We wanna focus on the baby first, and then definitely get into the whole wedding and everything,” he said in a January 2017 interview with Us Weekly. “I want to be part of, like, every decision.”
According to Us Weekly, the two married in a Gainesville, Florida courthouse, with Lochte’s father Steven witnessing the ceremony.
7. Kayla battled postpartum depression after her son’s birth.
In May 2018, Reid posted a video on YouTube about her battle with postpartum depression, which began about three months after giving birth to her son. In the video, she discusses wanting to share her story so that others could learn from it.
“Hearing other people’s stories gave me so much hope in myself, and to not give up,” Reid said in the video, in which she answered multiple questions submitted by viewers. “It makes me so sad because you don’t want to feel like that because you just gave birth to something. You know you are their everything, and everything you do is for them. I don’t know why I felt like that, but I did.”
8. She wants to be a swimsuit model.
Last month, Reid revealed in an Instagram post that her goal is to become a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. “It’s on every vision board and goal journal I have and this momma is on a mission to make sure I have an opportunity in achieving that goal,” she wrote in the post.
According to Page Six, Reid recently took a step toward making her dream a reality, trying out for the magazine during open casting calls in Miami. Unfortunately, Reid did not make the cut, Page Six reported.
Roman Chiarello is a writer and aspiring journalist who is committed to helping others. He currently attends Pace University and resides in New Jersey.