On the track, Olympian Lolo Jones is a beacon of shining success – winning three NCAA titles and 11 All-American honors – but her dating life has been a lot less accomplished, thanks, in part, to her very public declaration of virginity.
The sports star, originally from Iowa – who was already breaking track records by the time she graduated college – has become one of the most accomplished hurdlers in the world.
Throughout her impressive, decades-long career, the devout Christian and acclaimed athlete, now 40, has been very open about her decision to wait until marriage to have sex – as well as her desperate search for love and the continued heartache she has faced, leaving her to wonder, did her honesty about the subject destroy her chances of finding the one?
The bobsledder first revealed that she was a virgin in 2012, right before she headed to London for her second stint in the Olympics, explaining in an interview at the time that she wanted to save herself as a ‘gift’ for her husband.
She has since spent over a decade trying to find the one and suffering from numerous heartbreaks along the way – and most recently, she faced another devastating blow when she revealed that she had been ‘stalked’ by three different men over the last year who ‘crossed the line, jeopardized her and her friends safety, and altered her life.’
On the track, Olympian Lolo Jones is a beacon of shining success – winning three NCAA titles and 11 All-American honors – but her dating life has been a lot less accomplished
Over the years, Lolo, 40, has been open about the fact that she is waiting until marriage to have sex – as well as her desperate search for love and the continued heartbreak she has faced
When she first spoke about waiting until marriage in 2012, Lolo said that her decision stemmed from her strong faith, as well as her the impact that her parents’ tumultuous relationship had on her – they were never married, had five kids together, and went through a messy breakup when she was young, resulting in her spending most of her childhood living in poverty with her single mother.
At the time, Lolo admitted that being a virgin had already negatively impacted her dating life, explaining that guys would usually run for the hills as soon as they found out – and being so public about it only made her quest to find a partner that much harder.
Since then, Lolo has continuously spoken out about her ‘exhausting’ hunt for a husband, which she said was greatly stinted by her openness about being virgin.
The hurdler has also detailed the constant ‘teasing’ and ‘shaming’ she has faced over her decision to refrain from having sex until marriage, admitting that guys often tell her things like she’s ‘old and washed up’ and that she should ‘put out already.’
But despite Lolo admitting that she recently started to ‘give up hope’ on finding the one after facing heartbreak ‘so many times,’ she is still determined to start a family – and she began the process IVF by freezing her eggs last year.
However, Lolo faced more anguish recently, as she revealed that three different men had ‘broken into the Olympic training center,’ ‘harassed her friends in an attempt to reach her,’ and even ‘stalked her house’ over the last 12 months.
As the Olympic athlete continues to look for someone who will love her despite her being a virgin at age 40, FEMAIL has lifted a lid on her agonizing journey to find her soulmate, as well as the immense ‘anxiety’ she feels over ‘running out of time’ to become a mother.
The explosive admission: Lolo first revealed she was waiting until marriage to have sex in 2012 – and called it ‘harder than training for the Olympics’
Lolo first revealed she was a virgin in 2012, explaining in an interview at the time (seen) that she wanted to save herself as a ‘gift’ for her husband
At the time, she said that not having sex was ‘harder than training for the Olympics’ – especially because guys were tempting her by telling that having sex would improve her athletic abilities
Lolo first revealed she was a virgin in 2012 via Twitter, when she was 29 years old.
Weeks later, she spoke about it further during an appearance on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and she said that not having sex was ‘harder than training for the Olympics.’
The devout Christian and accomplished athlete – who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, but didn’t win a medal during either one – explained at the time that she was saving herself as a ‘gift’ for her husband.
However, she admitted that not having sex was no a walk in the park – especially because guys were throwing themselves at her and even tempting her by claiming that having sex would improve her athletic abilities.
‘It’s just a gift I want to give my husband. But please understand that this journey has been hard,’ she said.
‘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.
Lolo explained that her decision to wait to have sex until marriage stemmed from seeing her parents’ relationship fall apart as a child. She is seen with her parents and siblings as a kid
Her parents (seen) were never married, had five kids together, and went through a messy breakup when she was young, resulting in her spending most of her childhood living in poverty
‘Harder than training for the Olympics, harder than graduating from college – has been staying a virgin before marriage.
During the appearance, the runner admitted that being a virgin at age 29 had already negatively impacted her dating life – something that would only get worse after the explosive interview aired. She is seen in 2012
‘I’ve had plenty of opportunities… I’ve had guys tell me, they are like, “Hey, you know, if you have sex it will help you run faster.”‘
Lolo, who grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and spent most of her childhood living in poverty with a single mother, explained that in addition to her faith, her decision to wait to have sex until marriage stemmed from seeing her parents’ relationship fall apart as a child.
‘My mom, she was with my dad 20 years, never got married and they’re not together anymore. So I just want to have that solid bond,’ she added.
During the appearance, the runner admitted that being a virgin at age 29 had already negatively impacted her dating life – something that would only get worse after the explosive interview aired.
‘When I was 22, 24, it was cute,’ she continued in the 2012 segment. ‘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.’
The negative impact it had on her quest for love: Lolo later said her openness about being a virgin was a ‘mistake,’ and admitted that the public admission ‘killed’ her dating life
In 2020, Lolo called her openness about being a virgin a major ‘mistake’ and said it ‘killed’ her dating life
After speaking out about her sex life – or lack thereof – on the show, Lolo later said it made her chances of finding a man even harder.
During a 2020 appearance on Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls podcast, she spoke out about the negative impact that her admission had on her dating life, and she called her openness a major ‘mistake.’
‘That killed all my dates after that. Like, I didn’t even have a chance,’ she said. ‘Before, at least I had a chance.’
The track star explained that before the 2012 interview, she’d be able to ‘tiptoe’ around the subject and wait for a ‘good time’ to tell potential suitors, but after it aired, everyone she met already knew her secret.
One year later – in 2021 – Lolo detailed her relationship struggles once again via Instagram, and she admitted that she was starting to ‘give up hope’ on finding the one after facing heartbreak ‘so many times.’
‘I’m really just bored with dating,’ she wrote. ‘I think after so many times of getting your hopes up that you will meet your person… You just get over it. You give up hope.
‘Look I’m no spring chicken. I’m 38 years old. I’m not at an age where I can pretend.
‘Its hard to date. It’s always the same story, picking between two extremes. One guy is a Christian one guy is not.
In May 2022, Lolo revealed she had faced more ‘heartbreak’ after dating an unnamed man for eight months, only for him to fail to commit to her
The 40-year-old added that as the years pass, her ‘desires to be married’ and to ‘have a family of her own’ have only grown even more intense. She is seen in 2014
‘One guy is a workaholic the other one unmotivated. I’m torn between personality or character. Looks or morals.
‘Dammit I’m losing the last prime year of my life to lock down my husband before my face melts.’
In May 2022, Lolo revealed she had faced more ‘heartbreak’ after dating an unnamed man for eight months, only for him to fail to commit to her.
The three time world champ (seen in 2004) said guys will send her nasty messages over Instagram, telling her things like she’s ‘old and washed up’ and that she should ‘put out already’
‘Tonight I blocked the guy I was talking to for eight months. My heart just couldn’t take it anymore,’ she wrote on Instagram at the time.
She said the man gave her ‘so many mixed signals’ and would ‘talk about marriage’ with her but then put her in the ‘friend zone.’
‘He would never make time to see me. My heart is so heavy. I’m so exhausting [with] dating,’ she continued.
‘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.’
The 40-year-old added that as the years pass, her ‘desires to be married’ and to ‘have a family of her own’ have only grown even more intense.
She also spoke out about the constant ‘teasing’ she has faced over her decision to refrain from having sex.
The three time world champ said guys will send her nasty messages over Instagram, telling her things like she’s ‘old and washed up’ and that she should ‘put out already,’ with her concluding the post with, ‘So I’m just crying out. Where are you God?’
Her fears over ‘running out of time’ to start a family: Lolo recently spoke out about the immense pressure she is feeling over her ‘biological clock ticking,’ and recently revealed she was freezing her eggs
Back in August, just days before Lolo turned 40 years old, she posted a tearful video to Instagram admitting that she felt like she was ‘running out of time to have a family’
She broke down in tears as she revealed that she had decided to freeze her eggs, explaining that ‘nothing has scared her more’ than the possibility that she would never have kids
Back in August, just days before Lolo turned 40 years old, she posted a tearful video to Instagram admitting that she felt like she was ‘running out of time to have a family.’
The star broke down in tears as she revealed that she had decided to freeze her eggs, explaining that ‘nothing has scared her more’ than the possibility that she would never have kids.
‘I really want a family. I have waited for my husband for so many years and I’m just getting mad,’ she said in the video, as tears streamed down her face. ‘I’m about to turn 40, there’s a lot of stress on my right now.’
In the caption of the emotional post, she said she originally wanted to freeze her eggs in her early 30s, but ‘kept thinking’ she was going to ‘meet her husband and things will work out.’
‘Well here I am almost 10 years later and it hasn’t,’ she wrote. ‘I’m terrified. Nothing has scared me more than feeling like I’m running out of time to have a family.’
Lolo revealed that her hormone levels showed she had a ‘great egg reserve for her age’ so she was beginning the process of IVF.
‘My AMH levels showed I had a great egg reserve for my age. 3.2. Praise God, she’s fertile.
‘So now that I look eligible to start the egg freezing process my journey has begun. I want to encourage women to check into this earlier.
Lolo (seen i n 2015) called the ‘anxiety’ she felt over becoming a mom ‘more terrifying’ than some of the injuries she faced as an athlete during an interview with Good Morning America
‘I’ve had hamstring injuries, spine surgery, and nothing was more terrifying than starting to even look up the process of egg freezing,’ she said. She is seen in 2018
‘Not every women is the same. You can be 35 years old and have the egg count of someone who is 25 or you can be 25 years old and already losing your eggs at a high rate.’
In a follow-up post, Lolo spoke further about the immense pressure she is feeling over her ‘biological clock ticking,’ writing, ‘Being a women is hard.’
‘We are very aware of our “biological clock” ticking. Trust me,’ she said. I’ve been on dates with guys who ask me if I can even have kids at my age (like my worth is only if I can provide them a kid one day). And to be fair, guys honestly don’t know.’
She added that she has been ‘teased, shamed, and criticized’ for wanting kids because she’s a virgin, and that she has been ‘told to adopt instead’ and ‘called dried up and infertile’ by nasty internet trolls.
But now that she had started freezing her eggs, she said ‘a weight had been lifted’ because she doesn’t ‘feel forced to rush into marriage for the sake of starting a family.’
‘I have made the right move to prepare for a family if me and my husband want to try to have kids one day, we have options,’ she continued.
‘No one should be shamed for taking their time to figure out who their life partner is. 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.’
Now that she had started freezing her eggs, Lolo (seen in 2010) said ‘a weight had been lifted’ because she doesn’t ‘feel forced to rush into marriage for the sake of starting a family’
While chatting to Good Morning America weeks later, Lolo called the ‘anxiety’ she felt over becoming a mom was ‘more terrifying’ than some of the injuries she faced as an athlete.
‘You keep having hope that you’re gonna meet someone and then every year that goes by, you’re like, “Oh, I’m not, like, meeting my husband,” like, you start to get more anxious,’ she told the outlet.
‘And then here’s the crazy thing about all this. I have been crashing a bobsled at 90 miles an hour … I’ve had hamstring injuries, spine surgery, and nothing was more terrifying than starting to even look up the process of egg freezing.’
Most recently, on Tuesday, the Olympian revealed via Instagram that she had dealt with ‘three different male stalkers’ over the last year, while announcing she’s ‘done’ in a scathing post.
She said the men – who weren’t identified – ‘crossed the line, jeopardized her and her friends safety, and altered her life.’
‘One guy broke into the Olympic training center and stayed over night in hopes to find me,’ she revealed.
‘Another guy has continued to harass my friends in attempts to reach me. And lastly, a guy stalked my house and told the police he knew me from Instagram and I invited him to come live with me.
‘I’m DONE. If there was any confusion here is me being very f**king clear: I’m not interested. EVER. This is not the way to go.’
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