Frances Abbott’s mystery fiance is a burly Olympic rower with the word ‘commit’ tattooed across his rock-hard abs and a head of hair that could rival Thor.
Sam Loch, who at 34 is eight years Frances’ senior, knelt down and proposed to the daughter of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott just two weeks after meeting her.
The personal trainers share a love for bodybuilding, holding social media accounts with large followings dedicated to giving advice on health, training and fitness.
Loch holds multiple world records for rowing and competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics – but now offers ‘online coaching to a chosen few’.
Frances Abbott’s new fiancé Samuel Loch (pictured) is a buff two-time Olympic rower with the word commit tattooed across his stomach
Loch holds multiple world records for rowing and competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics
Frances, the daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, announced her shock engagement to Loch just two weeks after meeting him
Loch was educated at The King’s School, an exclusive boarding school in Sydney’s western suburbs that boasts about being Australia’s oldest independent school.
While a student at the $50,000-a-year school, Loch developed a love for rowing and was part of a First VIII crew that won the Head of the River rowing regatta in 2001 – a prestigious event that pits schools across NSW against each other.
After high school he moved to the United States to study and row at Princeton University, an ivy league institute in New Jersey that costs roughly $80,000 a year.
He graduated from Princeton in 2006 and continued to hone in on rowing, making his Australian team debut in the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Germany.
Despite only placing 12th in the Men’s Coxless Four, he was selected to compete for Australia in the Beijing Olympics where his crew came 6th in the Men’s Eight event.
He picked up two bronze medals in the World Championships in 2010 and 2011, before placing sixth again in the London Olympics.
Following London he took a break from international competing and focused on indoor rowing, for which he now holds a number of world records.
Muscle definition: Loch (pictured in 2008 just months before competing in the Beijing Olympics as a 23-year-old) went to ultra-exclusive The King’s School in western Sydney
Frances and Samuel are both personal trainers and share a passion for fitness and training
Thor? Loch recently chopped off his luscious mane of shoulder-length brown hair for charity
While most of Loch’s social media posts are dedicated to training tips, he occasionally posts photographs cuddling up with his dogs
His social media account is littered with photographs of him holding dogs coupled with advice on how to maximise gains and train for power and strength.
In addition to his love for animals – in particular the two dogs he owns – he also has a number of quirky tattoos inked across his athletic frame.
On his thigh is a tattoo of a naked man holding a huge bull across his shoulders.
Loch explains that the tattoo is of Milo of Croton, a ‘6th century BC wrestler and strongman’ – adding that his story is an ‘illustration of progressive overload.’
On his right bicep is a tattoo of what appears to be the outline of three birds, while his left shoulder is covered in a sprawling design with floral details.
Frances Abbott has announced her shock engagement to Olympian rower Sam Loch (pictured)The 26-year-old has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding last year
Mutual hobbies: Frances (pictured in a competition) has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding
Inked up: One of Loch’s many tattoos is a sketch of ‘Milo of Croton, a 6th century BC wrestler and strongman’
Loch owns two dogs but often posts photographs showing him hugging other people’s pets
Frances Abbott broke the news she was engaged to Loch via Instagram on Sunday evening, sharing photo booth strips of herself with her new fiance.
‘Hey Feyonce,’ she wrote.
‘Two weeks was all it took to know that forever with you was a mighty fine idea.’
Ms Abbott added hashtags reading: ‘why wait’, ‘he liked it so he put a ring on it’ and ‘let’s do this’.
No image has emerged of the ring.
The announcement was met with a mix of shock and excitement by the competitive bodybuilder’s followers.
A journalist for Harper’s Bazaar who recently interviewed Ms Abbott was more shocked than most.
‘Whoa! Things change quickly,’ wrote Rachelle Unreich.
‘When I interviewed you not very long ago for Harper’s, you said you were sooooo single! Congrats! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness.’
Ms Abbott told her social media followers she had only been dating Mr Loch for two weeks
The 26-year-old has undergone a drastic transformation since taking up professional bodybuilding.
Last year, she competed and recently told Daily Mail Australia the competitions were an ‘exciting experiment’ for herself.
Both Ms Abbott and Mr Loch are understood to work as personal trainers in Melbourne.
No announcement has been posted to Mr Loch’s Instagram, though he is an avid user of the platform, often sharing videos demonstrating his super-human strength.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Abbott and Mr Loch for comment.
Both Ms Abbott and Mr Loch are understood to work as personal trainers in Melbourne
No announcement has been posted to Mr Loch’s Instagram, though he is an avid user of the platform