When Zoe Welch downed a pint in seconds on TV show First Dates her prospective partner Mike Sumner was amazed. Her down in one skill and his stunned response were one of the highlights of the series.
The couple hit it off and have even moved in together since the show was filmed in spring two years ago. Now they are going a step further after Mike popped the question which Zoe happily gave a big yes to, reports Grimsby Live.
However it has not all been joy since they met. For former driving instructor, Mike, has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease which is incurable and which doctors have warned it could mean he has just five years to live.
Mike said: "I refuse to be gloomy about how long I am going to live. I am determined to live in the moment with Zoe and make the best of what time I have left.”
First Dates airs on Channel 4 and shows people on dates, all of whom have not met each other before. At the end of the date, the couples are interviewed together and asked whether they would like to see each other again.
Mike, 38 hit is off straight away with 31-year-old Zoe. The pair have been together now for over a year living in Sheffield and feel as though the show was the catalyst for helping them both find 'the one'.
The pair got engaged during a trip to Florida, with Mike proposing exactly two years to the day that they first met. He said he would never have believed he would be in this position if he was told about it a year ago.
Telling how the proposal went he said: "It wasn't a total surprise for Zoe. Due to my condition I'm not able to go out and about so much these days so had already asked her about her ring size and she'd also mentioned that she would say yes if I asked her so I was quietly confident!
"I decided to take the ring in my hand luggage on our most recent holiday to Florida a couple of weeks ago, I was really hoping they wouldn't check it all at the airport though that's for sure. We visited a lovely little town called Celebration, looking back, it was probably the best place I could have asked her.
"We took a walk around a lake and around two thirds of the way through we sat at a bench and I just pulled the ring out and asked her to marry me with a grin on my face. Sadly I couldn't get down on one knee as I would never have got back up.
"Whilst I wasn't nervous about what Zoe would say, I did feel oddly uncomfortable about the whole thing as I'd never asked anyone to marry me before. It was uncharted territory for me to say the least. I never knew if I would get the opportunity to ask someone to marry me with my illness, but everything seemed to line up nicely."
Mike also spoke about how much his and Zoe's relationship has been a topic of conversation in the media. Although they could have been more private, he believes the public nature of it all is what has got them to this point. He said: "I often think about it, but if it wasn't for us being willing to go on national television, we'd never be where we are.
"It is strange that people recognise us now and that, but that's the path we chose to get us to where we are." Speaking about proposing to someone and the upcoming wedding, Mike said he never knew if he would find the right person and is now hoping he can make it to his wedding day.
He explained: "The opportunity had never presented itself before, however, it seemed so right with me and Zoe to ask the question. I'm glad I've managed to do it and hopefully we can see it all the way through now.
"Part of me does worry I may not make it to the wedding day, but if I only thought like that I could drive myself mad, I try to appreciate the small things in life as much as I can. Some may overlook these things or take them for granted, but I try and absorb and take it all in as much as I can."
Looking ahead, Mike and Zoe are very excited about the upcoming wedding and hope to tie the knot later this year or early next year. Mike explained: "We're both very excited and a number of doctors have also said it will do me good to have something to aim for.
"If there isn't something to work towards, people with my condition can often go downhill, but something like this keeps me dialled in and focused. I would never have believed any of this would happen a year ago though. After seven years of being single, I've got a fiance in the following two. I'm now just trying to live my life to the fullest."
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