Rylee Arnold and Stephen Nedoroscik embraced one another and waited anxiously as the announcement built the suspense to reveal which of the five semifinalist pairs would make it to the finale. While it was Stephen Nedoroscik’s first time, DWTS Pro Rylee Arnold had been in a similar situation last season, waiting to find out if she had progressed. Unfortunately, last time, Arnold didn’t make it to the finale.

So, the sixth-place finisher during season 32 collapsed to the floor when the show announced that all five couples would compete in the finals. The 19-year-old pro could barely believe it. “I don’t know how to put into words the way I felt when I knew we had made it,” Arnold wrote on Instagram. However, it was none other than her four-year-old niece, Sage, who upped the stakes.

“If you win, I’ll let you get so many tickets [for Moana 2]… And I’ll have a tea party with you.” said the four-year-old in a TikTok video, a day ahead of the finale. The first-time finalist, who already wanted to “kill the finale,” now wanted to win it even more. However, despite Sage’s encouragement, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold didn’t win the mirror ball.

“I’m going to work so hard to get that mirrorball for you… I want that tea party and Moana 2 tickets,” the DWTS pro had told her niece. Unfortunately, Arnold found herself in a tough spot as she not only failed in her goal to win the coveted mirrorball but also let down Sage. Thankfully, little Sage promised to be supportive of her aunt even if she didn’t win.

“What happens if I don’t win?” Rylee Arnold asked her niece, as her elder sister and Sage’s mother Lindsay Arnold filmed the video from the front seat of her car. “You will lose,” said Sage matter-of-factly. However, the little Sage also assured Arnold she wouldn’t mind if her aunt didn’t win the mirror ball. “If you don’t win, that’ll be ok,” added Lindsey Arnold’s daughter. However, the loss must have felt especially hard for Stephen Nedoroscik’s mentor, especially after the health issues she overcame.

Stephen Nedoroscik’s DWTS partner also has a medical condition

At the end of the day, the Olympic double bronze medalist and his dance mentor, Rylee Arnold, share a lot more in common than you’d think. However, one of the most important traits they share is that of perseverance. Just as the Olympian overcame Strabismus and other vision issues to pursue gymnastics, Arnold has been fighting a health condition for four years.

The 19-year-old dance prodigy was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes at just 15. Since then, Stephen Nedoroscik’s mentor and friend have closely monitored her blood sugar level while continuing to pursue dancing. The dancer didn’t even think something was wrong until she felt excessive fatigue, constant thirst, frequent bathroom breaks and ultimately needed to get hospitalized in 2020.

The doctors found that the dancer’s blood sugar had spiked to a life-threatening 1,023. “It takes over my life. It is something that’s always on my mind,” Rylee Arnold explained when describing the flare-up. However, the health condition couldn’t affect her love for dancing. Arnold’s passion for winning the DWTS title was apparent not only when she talked to her niece but also in another video she posted on Instagram.

The clip showed Rylee Arnold struggling to hold back her tears as Stephen Nedoroscik tried to comfort her. “We are so excited, and I have no idea how many times I’ll be crying tonight,” the dancer wrote in her caption. Yet, even though she didn’t win season 33, becoming a finalist at 19 is an achievement in itself. Maybe next year she’ll fulfill her promise of winning the mirrorball for Sage.