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Kevin Locke’s secret vow

Kevin and Chelsea have been a perfect match for each other since day one.

Kiwi league star Kevin Locke and his fiancée, former Australian netballer Chelsea Pitman, are a perfect match. They love giving each other a hard time about their height (he’s too short,

she’s too tall), and both have competed in a world cup final – each representing their country in their respective sport.

But beyond the ribbing and their sporting connection, there’s a painful experience that has bonded these two athletes even more closely together.

In October last year, Chelsea (27), who was living in Sydney at the time, was thrilled to discover that she was eight weeks’ pregnant. Kevin (26) was in New Zealand visiting his three-year-old son Louie, so Chelsea called him to share the joyous news. But when Chelsea went for a scan, doctors discovered that her pregnancy was ectopic, meaning the embryo was stuck in the Fallopian tube, and it was rupturing.

She was rushed to hospital for emergency life-saving surgery, but it was inevitable that Chelsea and Kevin lost their baby. “Looking back, it all happened so fast. It was a major roller-coaster ride,” Chelsea explains. “Within just 12 hours, I discovered that I was pregnant and was rushed to hospital. I was in shock. I wanted Kevin by my side.”

Kevin had spent only three days in New Zealand when he got the call. Hearing how distressed Chelsea was, he immediately abandoned his visit, and jumped on a plane to Sydney to support her.“She was hurting, and I love her so much – I was going to do all that I could to make sure she got through this ordeal,” Kevin explains.

“When she came into the room, I got really shy.”

Chelsea recalls the moment she knew that Kevin was a keeper. When she regained consciousness after surgery to remove her embryo and left Fallopian tube, she opened her eyes to find Kevin by her side. “I had a moment and broke down crying,” Chelsea says. “This is something that we will never forget. It is so sad but it has made us closer.” Chelsea and Kevin, who now live in the British city of Wakefield, have been together 18 months, after first meeting in 2011. Kevin, who was playing in Brisbane for the Warriors, went to watch Chelsea play in the ANZ Championship semi-finals for the Queensland Firebirds. Chelsea, who was friends with Kevin’s roommate and fellow Warrior Lewis Brown, dropped the tickets off to them.

“When she came in the room, I got really shy,” he reveals. Chelsea nods. “He was! He only said one word, which was ‘Hey’.” The pair had long admired each other and their sporting careers. Kevin has played league for the Warriors, and eight games with the Kiwis team. Meanwhile, Chelsea has an equally impressive sporting record. Although her mother is from Tauranga, Chelsea grew up in Sydney and helped the Firebirds win the 2011 ANZ Netball Championships. She was in the Australian team that beat the Silver Ferns at the 2011 Netball World Cup. A year later, the pair added each other on social media and struck up an online flirtation.

“We just clicked,” says Chelsea, who was living in Perth while Kevin was in Auckland. “Once we got over our shyness, it seemed like we had known each other for a long time.” “We were both idiots together, “ Kevin adds. “We laughed at the same things and really connected.” Their bond was so strong, the pair decided to go on a date as soon as they were in the same country. Opportunity arose in March 2014 when Chelsea travelled to Tauranga with West Coast Fever to play the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Her extended family live in Tauranga and came to the game, so Kevin met them all. “My nana was a crack-up. She told me that Kevin was easy on the eye, and kept raising her eyebrow and winking at him,” Chelsea reveals.

From teasing each other about their height to more serious matters of the heart, this pair knew they were meant for one another.

Before Chelsea’s game, they had their first dinner date at the Tauranga hotel where she was staying. Chelsea was keen to avoid being spotted by her teammates, and especially her coach – former notorious Silver Ferns rival Norma Plummer. But Chelsea was left red-faced when Norma intercepted them on their date and asked Chelsea who the young man was. “I got so nervous and didn’t want her to think I wasn’t focused on the game, so introduced Kevin as my cousin!” Despite the interruption, sparks flew and the couple started a long-distance relationship. Last year, Kevin left the NZ Warriors to move to the UK to take up a contract in Salford, Manchester. The move was a huge sacrifice for Kevin, who found it difficult being away from his son Louie.

“It was a decision that I had to make for my career, but I hated leaving my son. He’s talking now and started to call me Dad. I knew I was going to miss out on all those milestones.” It was also a major milestone for Chelsea, who decided to join her partner overseas. “I was prepared to give up my netball and be with him. I wanted to give this part of my life a shot, because romance had always been on the back burner until then,” she admits. Kevin says he appreciated Chelsea’s sacrifice.

“I loved her even more for it,” he smiles. But the move to the UK hasn’t been the easiest transition for Kevin with some media even calling his year “torturous”. This week, it was announced

that Kevin has been released from the team. It follows an investigation into a driving accident involving him and two other teammates. Plagued by injury, Kevin received harsh criticism for quitting his club in Salford and moving to play in Wakefield. His plight made headline news and he attributes Chelsea’s love with helping him overcome the immense pressure.

“That period was hurtful, but Chelsea’s support has been amazing. Also, because she’s a top athlete, she knows the pressure that I’m under.” In fact, the couple say being sportspeople is one quality that bonds them together. “People say to get over it, it’s just a game. But it’s not just a game to us – it’s our lives,” Chelsea explains. With such a close relationship quickly developing, it was only a matter of time until Kevin proposed.

Although Kevin and Chelsea have been in serious relationships before (Kevin was engaged to the mother of his son), they are both thrilled to be walking down the aisle.“Chelsea is truly my best friend,” Kevin says with a smile. “I had no hesitation in proposing.” Kevin popped the question in December last year, taking Chelsea by complete surprise. One morning, Kevin woke her and asked if she could cook him breakfast.

Chelsea and Kevin are now looking forward to a summer wedding in Sydney.

“I was in the kitchen, frying bacon in my pyjamas, when my phone went off. I saw there was an attachment and there were two pictures. One of Kevin’s mum and sister holding a ‘Will You’ sign, then a picture of my grandmother holding a ‘Marry Me’ sign.”

Shocked, Chelsea turned around to find Kevin on his knee in the kitchen, holding a specially designed 18-carat white gold and diamond engagement ring.“I burst into tears and kissed him. It was so sudden, I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet!” Chelsea has sent the ring to her mother in Sydney for resizing and safekeeping. “We miss it,” Chelsea says. “Kevin hates it not being on my finger.” The pair are looking forward to their December wedding in Sydney, with a guest list including family, friends and many sporting teammates.

Chelsea has now signed with the Wellington-based Mojo Pulse for next year’s ANZ Championship season, and will move to New Zealand. Kevin says there’s a high chance he won’t be joining her, as he is uncertain where his league career will take him. “This is where our careers are heading, but it won’t be forever,” Kevin says. “When we make our vows, we will be promising to stay together forever.”Hearing him talk with such commitment prompts Chelsea to reel off a list of reasons of why she’s deeply in love with Kevin.

“He’s got a beautiful heart. He makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. When he smiles, it gives me butterflies. It’s cheesy stuff, but it’s the truth,” she tells. Kevin says Chelsea inspires him to be a better person. “She makes me feel loved. She’s loyal and brings lots of trust to the relationship.”

The couple wish to start a family in the future. After their ectopic pregnancy last year, it will be complicated and could take time. But the pair know that having a baby is still possible.

“I’ve got a beautiful son who means everything to me,” Kevin says. “But I’d love to have children with Chelsea and spend the rest of my life with her.”

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