A paralysed scuba diver and a procurement consultant have spoken of their joy after finding love on a dating app. After they were stuck in a hotel together during Covid, the pair fell head over heels for one another.
Eve and Dan matched with one another on Tinder in 2019. She recalls being immediately impressed with his love of extreme sports.
Eve, 28 from Lincoln, said: "When I first saw his profile, I was amazed at how fit he was. He had a big grin on his face in each photo."
After chatting for a few days, Eve learned that dad-of-one Dan was paralysed from the belly button down after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2014.
Eve admitted: "I did notice the wheelchair, and at first I questioned if I could date a disabled person. But my questioning was soon overshadowed by Dan's clear physical prowess."
The pair decided to meet at a pub for the first time. Speaking of the moment, Eve said: "Before we met for the first time, I even searched how to greet someone in a wheelchair. I was so worried that I would offend Dan, but he almost immediately made me feel welcomed and comfortable."
As their first date went so well, they agreed to go on two more dates. During one date in January 2020, Dan, an eager sportsman, told Eve that he was heading off to Lanzarote for hand cycling training.
Eager to enjoy some sun while getting to know Dan more, Eve decided to take the plunge and spend some time in Lanzarote with Dan. However, neither of them knew what was heading their way, as the Spanish island was put on red alert as the coronavirus spread across Europe.
The couple then found themselves trapped in a hotel room, in Lanzarote, Sands Beach Resort, for two weeks in isolation. But despite the stressful situation, the pair quickly fell in love - talking for hours.
Eve admits: "The journey to falling for Dan was quick. After spending two weeks locked in a hotel room together, it was hard not to love him.
"I had never lived with a disabled person, and I knew it came with obstacles that I wasn’t sure I could handle. But Dan straight away demonstrated how independent he was."
Dan, 32, from Grantham, Lincolnshire, added: "I found a woman that loved every part of me. Eve was considerate, kind and loving.
"I honestly never thought I would meet someone like Eve. She blew me away."
After the couple returned home to the UK in March 2020, they had a decision to make - stay together or separate until the lockdown was over. Admitting that they had fallen head over heels for one another, Eve packed up her home in Lincoln and moved in with Dan.
Months later, on Cleethorpes beach in Lincoln, Dan proposed to the "love of his life". The couple married last year and can continue their adventure together.
A lover of extreme sports, Dan has a passion for scuba diving. Following her husband, Eve has now qualified as a scuba diver and will be by Dan's side as he attempts to break three diving world records.
Hoping to increase awareness of scuba diving with a disability and hoping to raise money for Magpas Air Ambulance, The Scuba Trust and Stoney Cone Dive Centre, Dan will be attempting a 5km scuba dive swim without surfacing.
Dan will be diving to a depth of six to eight metres, and as he can't move his lower body, he will be swimming with his arms for approximately six hours. During the challenge, Dan will be hoping to break the world records for the fastest one mile scuba diving in fresh open water with a swimming band (the band will be secured around his legs to ensure no movement), the fastest one mule scuba diving in fresh open water MP2 (MP2 stands for muscle paralysis 2 and is Dan's disability category) and the greatest distance scuba diving in fresh open water MP2.
Speaking of her husband, Eve said: "I am proud to call him my husband and my best friend. Thank god I swiped right, because if I had let my preconceptions guide my judgement, I wouldn't be married to the love of my life."
Dan added: "Eve has been a big rock in my life, and with her support, I want to help others by raising some money with some world records."
If you'd like to find out more about Dan's world record fundraiser, visit his fundraising page here.
