Three-time Olympian Alev Kelter came to the "City of Love" with big dreams. She accomplished one goal when she helped the U.S. women’s rugby team achieve a historic victory over Australia to claim the bronze medal, the first medal for an American sevens squad — men or women. Kelter came up clutch when she scored the first try for the U.S. squad and teammate Alex "Spiff" Sedrick scored the last second game-winning try and conversion.
The win set off a whirlwind week of celebrations and media appearances for the bronze medal winners. The post-win bliss got even sweeter when Kelter proposed to her girlfriend, Kathryn Treder, on Monday in Paris. Treder plays for the U.S. women’s XVs squad, which Kelter also crosses over and plays for and is where the couple presumably met.
The proposal was extra special for Kelter, who had her family in Paris for the Olympics. Her 96-year-old grandma, Anneanne, was seen in the photos. Earlier on Monday, Kelter posted about her grandma on Instagram, who said her presence at the Games was “so special.” Her twin sister, Derya, helped execute the moment when she slyly passed the ring to Alev as she climbed the stairs with Treder right before the big moment.
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Kelter recruited U.S. park skateboarder Heimana Reynolds to help capture the proposal. Reynolds posted on Instagram that he had never done any proposal photography but was honored to capture the moment.
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Before the proposal, Treder posted that she was so proud of Kelter.
“Alev, you’ve been grinding, fighting, and putting your head where people don’t want to put their feet," Treder said on Instagram. "Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance has paid off in the most incredible way. Now, you get to add a bronze Olympic medal to the long list of your incredible accomplishments!”
Kelter's journey to the Olympics
Kelter has had an interesting journey to becoming a three-time Olympian. The Alaskan native originally tried to qualify for the Winter Olympics as part of the U.S. women’s hockey team in 2014. After being cut, she didn’t know where her sports career would head. That’s when legendary coach, Ric Suggitt, reached out and asked if she was interested in trying sevens.
The 33-year-old found rugby late but was hooked as soon as she tried it. Two weeks after trying rugby for the first time, she was training with the sevens program. She originally played D1 soccer and women’s hockey at the University of Wisconsin with her twin sister.
Kelter has become one of the most decorated women’s Eagles. Earlier this year, she scored her 1,000th career SVNS Series point, becoming only the fifth woman and the only American to reach that mark. She has also represented the U.S. at two women’s Rugby World Cups in 15s (2017 and 2021).
At 33, Kelter hasn’t slowed down. She led the sevens squad in points heading into the Olympics, scoring over 50 points more than the closest teammate in the SVNS Series season. While Kelter hasn’t committed to what’s next, she will be leaving Paris with a ring and a medal in hand — and a lifetime of memories she dreamed of.
