As the sun set over Mexico’s Isla Mujeres, there couldn’t have been a more magical setting for a proposal. But as Kiwi boxer David Nyika got down on knee, Love Island Australia star Lexy Thornberry hilariously thought he was reenacting a scene from The Office.
“The night before, we’d watched the episode where Jim drops down on one knee and pretends he’s proposing but is tying his shoelace,” laughs Lexy, 24. “I thought he was doing that, then I saw the ring box and went, ‘This is real? No way!’”
It’s a moment David, 29, had been manifesting since the couple booked the Cancún getaway 18 months earlier. But it didn’t quite go to plan. He’d envisioned popping the question while dancing on tables to Dancing Circles by Sampha.
The Hamilton-born star – who moved from England to Australia to train with Lexy’s boxing trainer dad Noel Thornberry in 2022 – had a Tiffany ring delivered to pals, who discretely handed it over during the weigh-in of David’s January IBF bout against Jai Opetaia. It was a devastating night after the Aussie knocked David out. But the next day, he and Lexy jetted to Cancún, where they soaked up the sun.
They’d enjoyed a day of beach-hopping when David insisted they catch the sunset. With his new drone ready to go, he was gutted to learn local laws prohibited flying such devices, and his desperate attempts to bribe staff and secure permits online had Lexy perplexed.
She recalls, “I was like, ‘Why’s the sunset so important? Let’s do it tomorrow. And why do you keep bribing people, you weirdo?’ But he was adamant. Little did I know he was trying to propose.”
As the sun sank deeper, David knew he had to change tack, so he pulled Lexy in for a cuddle. Sensing his “nervous energy”, she wondered why he was looking at her differently, then noticed a group of ladies at a nearby tequila tasting squealing in delight. They had spotted David pulling the Tiffany box out, before he asked Lexy if she knew how much he loved her.
Lexy grins, “I said, ‘I knew you loved me, but not this much!’ He did a nice speech, then I started asking questions like, ‘Did you ask my dad?’, so I forgot to say yes, then finally did. David was crying, but I was too happy to cry.”
David quips, “I didn’t cry!” before remembering he did, in fact, shed some tears. “It didn’t go how I planned, but it was a success. And we did dance on tables after – a small one on our balcony!”
The celebratory dance came three years after Lexy slipped into David’s DMs after watching his bronze medal-winning run at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He didn’t reply, but she soon heard he was moving to Queensland to train with Noel on their family farm.
The two began dating, but while Lexy had always wanted marriage, she didn’t drop any hints for fear of “freaking him out”. Yet she didn’t have to worry – the cruiserweight boxer was all in.
“I’m 29 now, so marriage was always on my mind,” says the Commonwealth Games gold medallist. “Most of my adult life has been in relationships, trying to find the right person. I spent almost eight years with the wrong people, so I wanted to nail this one.”
The fact it’s “easy” with Lexy is how David knew he’d found The One. The couple also adore each other’s families, with David crediting Lexy’s loved ones for making his Australian transition “seamless”. After we last caught up with them in Queensland in 2022, David won all his matches in 2023 and 2024.
There are still challenges – like the heartache and fallout of January’s IBF loss. David was also recently crushed by losing his beloved dog George.
But these lows have been balanced by highs like getting engaged, buying a house together and helping Lexy – who completed a nutritionist course, then became a Pilates instructor – launch her Pilates business BerryActiv.
“We’ve felt so many emotions the past couple of months,” admits Lexy. “Sad, happy, overwhelmed.”
Adds David, “My soul’s been through the wringer already this year. We’ve gone through all the ups and downs.”
Now they’re looking forward to the next high – tying the knot! The couple is deciding whether to wed in Australia or New Zealand and Woman’s Day joined them to scout gorgeous Waiheke Island venue Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant.
The pair first visited Waiheke during one of their visits to New Zealand together and Lexy instantly fell in love.
“I’d never seen anything like it,” she enthuses. “I hadn’t been to wineries in Australia and they’re all so beautiful here. When I realised they do weddings, it was a game-changer.”
Lexy hopes to have the big day captured by a live painter and says the couple is planning a whole weekend of celebrations. They kick-started the fun with an engagement party during their latest Auckland trip.
Aside from wedding planning, David has a fight promoted by Noel coming up in Australia around June but is meanwhile helping his fiancée grow her business. Focusing on Lexy’s ambitions has helped David through recent setbacks, as did their Cancún getaway.
“You can’t help beating yourself up with all the ‘what if’s so getting away after the IBF fight was a blessing,” he says. “It helped distract and take me out of the rut. I’m still in the trenches, but helping Lexy’s a nice way to take myself out of my own head.”
It’s also a nod to the support Lexy has shown through David’s career, during which he often enters periods of “disappearing” into fight prep.
He explains, “I have to disassociate from the world because of the amount of stress and pressure that comes on. I remove myself emotionally from most things. That has and will affect our relationship, but Lexy came in understanding that and doesn’t rip me up about it. She’s done everything she can to help me succeed.”
As the lovebirds prepare for married life together, Lexy giggles as David raves about how excited he is to start a family. But there’s another milestone to embrace before wedding and babies – his upcoming 30th.
“I’ve been ready for my thirties for a couple of years now,” he says. “I’ve got my chickens, my garden and my mowing equipment. I’m ready for kids. Ready for a dog. I’m ready for the rest of life, man!”
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