Joe Burrow girlfriend Olivia Ponton says she has pterygium and may put surgery off for as long as she can. The Sports Illustrated model shared the update in a mirror selfie with her new glasses, giving her followers a clear look at the eye issue she called surfer's eye.
“ps I finally went to the optometrist & got 3 pairs of glasses ???????????????????????? I have a bit of pterygium, aka 'surfer's eye.' I'm not sure if it's bad enough to get surgery, but I'm going to put it off for as long as I can heheheh.” That is the blunt part of the story: she has a diagnosed growth on the eye, but she has not made surgery the immediate move.
Olivia Ponton and 3 pairs
Pterygium is a raised, benign growth of fleshy tissue on the conjunctiva, and it can slowly grow toward the cornea. Small cases can be managed with artificial tears, while larger ones can deform the cornea and lead to astigmatism. Surgery is typically considered when the growth threatens the center of the eye.
That threshold is why Ponton's comment matters. She says she is not sure whether the condition is severe enough for surgery, which puts the decision at the point where routine treatment and a more invasive fix can part ways. Her note about getting 3 pairs of glasses adds a practical layer: the condition has already pushed her into a new eye-care routine.
Naples, Florida to Hawaii
The eye issue also fits the life Ponton has described around sun and water. She grew up on the coast in Naples, Florida, competed in water skiing for 9 years, and said she started surfing around 2 years ago after living on and off in Hawaii for a year and a half to two years.
In April, she said on Booked & Busy with Olivia Ponton, “I got barreled for the first time, and that was a crazy emotion to feel…I probably started twoish years ago. I used to like live on and off in Hawaii for like about a year and a halfish two years. I would just like rent places for the winter,” a reminder that the condition sits in the middle of a lifestyle built around time outdoors.
Joe Burrow and August
December 2024 is when Olivia Ponton and Joe Burrow's relationship became widely publicized, and the two have since been spotted together at events tied to Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and Met Gala after-parties. In August, she attended Cincinnati's training camp and was photographed talking to him on the field.
That public link is part of why her health update travels beyond a personal post. Neither Olivia Ponton nor Joe Burrow has commented publicly on their relationship, and the newest development keeps the focus on her next medical choice: live with the condition, or move to surgery if the eye changes enough to justify it.
