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Olympics star Lolo Jones has described how being a virgin at the age of 40 has impacted her dating life, as she described it as 'the hardest thing' she's ever done.
The athlete is known for being one of the most accomplished hurdlers in the world, as well as being one of the few athletes to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics as she took on the role of a brakewoman on the US national bobsled team.
She's won gold medals, national titles and World Championships, but when it comes to her personal life she's found that she's been subject to 'teasing' and 'shaming' over some of her life choices.
In 2012, Lolo opened up about her decision not to have sex until she was married. She made the choice based on her strong faith and her experiences growing up with a single mother after her parents broke up, saying her virginity was a 'gift' she wanted to save for her future husband.
"It’s just a gift I want to give my husband," she said. "But please understand that this journey has been hard. There are virgins out there and I’m going to let them know, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Harder than training for the Olympics, harder than graduating from college - has been staying a virgin before marriage."
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It's a personal choice that no one else should be able to comment on, but of course that doesn't stop them.
Discussing in 2012 the reactions she's had when explaining her choice, Lolo said: "When I was 22, 24, it was cute. But [at age] 24 to 29, it's not cute. You get judged a lot, a lot of guys won't return your calls after they find out."
Eight years later, during an appearance on Kevin Hart's Cold as Balls podcast, Lolo said that going public about her virginity was a 'mistake'.
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Describing how men ran for the hills, Lolo explained: "That killed all my dates after that. Like, I didn't even have a chance."
Her struggles continued in 2021, when she took to Instagram to say she was 'really bored with dating' and that you 'give up hope' after being let down so many times.
"Look I’m no spring chicken. I’m 38 years old. I’m not at an age where I can pretend," Lolo said. "Its hard to date. It’s always the same story, picking between two extremes. One guy is a Christian one guy is not. Before, at least I had a chance."
Lolo was chatting to a man for months in 2022, but ended up blocking as he gave her 'mixed signals'.
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"I have continuously asked God to honor me with a Godly man. I've prayed for years with many tears for God to please allow me to find my husband," she said.
Lolo has been subject to criticism from strangers online telling her she should 'put out already', and she faced further pressures as she got older and felt she was 'running out of time' to have a family.
She decided to freeze her eggs in the hopes of having children in the future, and argued: "No one should be shamed for taking their time to figure out who their life partner is."
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"A woman shouldn’t be shamed for wanting biological kids or wanting to know what it’s like to be pregnant and carry her own child," Lolo added.
Topics: Parenting, Sex and Relationships, Celebrity
Emily Brown