Wade Poplawski Crashes Cross-Country Skier Wife Jessie Diggins’ Pre-Opening Ceremony Photoshoot With A Wholesome Surprise

Three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins married Wade Poplawski in an intimate ceremony at Almquist Farm in Minnesota in 2022.

Wade Poplawski Crashes Cross-Country Skier Wife Jessie Diggins’ Pre-Opening Ceremony Photoshoot With A Wholesome Surprise

Jessie Diggins, Wade Poplawski (Image via Screengrab via @usskiteam on X)

The Olympic cross-country skier Jessie Diggins had a surprise waiting for her while she was casually taking some pictures before the Winter Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony. Unbeknownst to her, Diggins’ husband, Wade Poplawski, had flown in to surprise her ahead of the ceremony.

Wade Poplawski, a former professional ice hockey player for Rapid City Rush, and Diggins dated for quite some time before tying the knot in May 2022. The Olympic champion and her husband reportedly live in Boston with their dogs, Leo and Lucy. The moment between the pair has gone viral, with the wholesome airborne hug they shared on seeing each other.

Diggins and Poplawski have been away from each other for a considerable amount of time, with her training centered in the Dolomites in preparation for her fourth and final Olympics. Earlier, in an interview with Mpls St Paul, Diggins opened up on the difficulties of ski racers based in the US or non-European countries. She said:

So many things would be easier if we were based in Scandinavia or Central Europe. But it’s the reality of being an American, Canadian, Australian, or Japanese ski racer; it’s different for those of us who have to uproot. Those logistical hurdles require a huge amount of commitment, like, are you willing to hit pause on your entire life, all your family, all your friends?

The three-time medalist made her Olympic debut in Sochi in 2014, competing in the 15km skiathlon, 30km mass start, sprint, and the 4*5km team relay. Her first medal came four years later in PyeongChang with a gold in the team event. In Beijing, Diggins upped her ante with a silver in the 30km mass start and a bronze in the sprint.

As one of the biggest medal prospects of Team USA, Diggins is scheduled to appear in six cross-country events. She’s listed to ski down in the 10km freestyle, 20km skiathlon, 50km classical, and the 4*7.5km team relay. The 50km classical is a newly introduced event in the women’s category; this is the first time women will compete in a 50km event at the Olympics. Furthermore, fans get to see her in the two sprint events: sprint and team sprint.

Jessie Diggins finds new meaning in pain ahead of her last Olympics

Jessie Diggins has been known as one of the defining athletes in the sport of cross-country skiing with multiple Olympic medals, seven World Championship medals, and six World Cups, including the 2024-2025 overall and distance titles.

Jesse Diggins (Image via Sports Illustrated)
Jessie Diggins (Image via Sports Illustrated)

Diggins’ legacy has also centered around her endurance and resilience, an example of which everyone saw in Beijing four years ago. In freezing temperatures of Zhangjiakou with strong Siberian winds and blowing snow, Diggins braved more than the unfavorable conditions to cruise to a silver in the 30km freestyle. She was battling a severe case of food poisoning that left her unable to eat or drink while taking precautions to prevent frostbite.

Ahead of the Winter Olympics, Diggins reflected on enduring pain as an athlete. She admitted that while the pain she had to endure through skiing paled in comparison to what she went through dealing with bulimia. She added that her journey with her eating disorder and her experience as a cross-country skier have helped her redefine pain.

In sport, with guidelines and a medical team and a defined finish line, that’s great. But in life, you can’t just push yourself through pain indefinitely. There’s a big difference between challenging your body and pushing hard because you want to and you’re excited to see what’s at the bottom of the well and at the back of the pain cave, that is different than punishing yourself.

For her one last time, Diggins has shifted her focus to structured training, recovery, and mental well-being to reach what she called her “superpeak.”

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