Nina Dobrev gushes over boyfriend Shaun White© Nina Dobrev

Nina Dobrev gushes over boyfriend Shaun White ahead of his fifth Winter Olympics

“I’m so proud of him.”


JANUARY 26, 2022 2:40 PM EST

 Nina Dobrev  couldn’t be more excited to witness her boyfriend Shaun White doing what he does best.

During an appearance on E! News’ Daily Pop on Tuesday, January 25, where she talked about her excitement for the beloved snowboarder.

“I am really excited for him,” she said of his upcoming endeavor. “Just to get into the Olympics at all is one of the hugest accomplishments, let alone to get in five times. I’m so excited. I’m so proud of him.”

When he competes in Beijing next month, White will be the oldest U.S. halfpipe rider in the history of the Winter Games. He will be joined on the men’s halfpipe team by Taylor Gold, Chase Josey, and Lucas Foster.

Surprisingly enough, Dobrev is actually pretty comfortable on the slopes herself.

“I actually have been snowboarding since I was really little,” she revealed on Daily Pop. “I skied first and then I switched over to snowboarding at probably 8 or 9.”

The Vampire Diaries star continued, “I think [White] was more surprised when we went [snowboarding] for the first time. He was expecting to wait for me and it was quite the opposite. I had already passed him by a landslide … I can keep up!”

Nina Dobrev and Shawn White have been dating since 2019, after they met an at event in Florida organized by motivational speaker Tony Robbins.

Earlier this month, White told PEOPLE that he and the actress moved in together at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly making themselves busy with projects around their home.

“We went to the hardware store [and] bought a bunch of paint, and brushes and definitely got in over our heads, but it was really fun,” he said, adding, “Nina’s just been so supportive and so amazing through this whole process for me. Through the pandemic, she was a lifesaver — she really made that time in my life special.”

He spoke highly of his other half during another interview with PEOPLE back in October, talking about how amazing of a partner she is.

“Nina’s incredible. What an influence on my life. Not only does she run her own show, her own world, companies she’s involved in, things she‘s producing, all this stuff going on,” he said. “She holds me to this same high standard which is so wonderful to have in a partner.”

The Winter Olympics kick off February 3 on NBC.