THE STORY OF US
THE AMAZING RACE AUSTRALIA WINNERS ON LOVE, ROMANCE AND NEWLYMARRIED LIFE
They crossed The Amazing Race Australia finish line in memorable style – hand in hand and with beaming smiles. But for newlyweds Tim and Rod Sattler-jones, the celebrations were only just beginning when they were crowned the show’s 2019 winners. It was the perfect opportunity for the Sydney personal trainers to become engaged – for the second time, that is!
“Rod proposed to me first time around and I was over the moon when he did,” says Tim. “But growing up as a gay man, I had always wanted the opportunity to propose to him. When we got on The Amazing Race, I thought ‘If we can make it all the way to the end, that will be the perfect chance’.
“When we found out we’d won, I got down on one knee. So we both had the opportunity of proposing to each other, which was just fantastic.”
How did a blissfully happy Tim and Rod, who both originally hail from Newcastle, first meet?
“We had both been on different [dating] apps in the past, but there was no-one either of us connected with,” says Rod, 29. “Then this mutual friend on Facebook sent me a message telling me about Tim. I was a bit hesitant at first, but finally suggested we meet.”
As for Tim, 30, he reveals that, like Rod, he had “almost given up on love”.
“I was thinking ‘The man of my dreams is not out there – I’m never going to find him,’” he says, adding with a smile, “I was in a pretty sad place in terms of finding my Prince Charming. And then I met Rod.”
Indeed, for Tim and Rod, it was unquestionably a case of love at first sight.
“I think I knew deep down that I had met my husband on our first date about three years ago,” says Rod.
To which Tim nods, and reveals: “Rod and I had actually lived around the corner from each other our whole lives without knowing the other existed. The universe brought us together, and the second we met it was like we had found that piece of puzzle that had been missing all those years.
“We both wanted a best mate we could fall in love with – and that’s exactly what happened. We met each other, fell head over heels in love and have pretty much been inseparable ever since.”
The couple first became engaged “at the one year mark” after Rod got down on bended knee. “I said yes in a split second,” laughs Tim. “I didn’t have to think about it at all.”
On March 23, 2019, in Port Stephens, NSW, Tim and Rod tied the knot in a beautiful beachside ceremony, before honeymooning in the beautiful sun-soaked Maldives.
“We had 100 people at the wedding who all mean the world to us, and it was just the most perfect day ever,” says Rod.
“It was really beautiful because both my parents walked me down the aisle, and Tim’s mum walked him down the aisle. It was so special.”
Having just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, the super-fit couple – who share their lives with German shepherd puppy Diesel – declare it’s simply been, well, “the most amazing year ever!”
“We’re always going to the gym and boot camps together, going on walks or to the beach. We try and live our lives as healthy and active as we can and we love to motivate and inspire each other,” says Tim.
“First and foremost, we’re best friends. That’s what’s made our marriage so special and why it has such a strong foundation.”