As “The Bachelorette” season 21 star Jenn Tran gets closer to giving out her final rose, her top contenders are emerging.
Marcus Shoberg, 31, caught Jenn’s attention early in the competition, landing the season’s first one-on-one date and calming her nerves when they went skydiving.
“I could see a future with Marcus,” Jenn said during week two. “I could see him being my forever person. I could see us falling in love with each other and it feels like the start of something really good.”
Their relationship has grown stronger each week, with Marcus slowly getting comfortable sharing his more vulnerable side with Jenn.
After their second one-on-one date in Seattle during week six, Marcus let his guard down even more, telling Jenn about his difficult upbringing, and secured a rose ahead of hometowns.
Here’s what to know about Marcus.
Marcus is a US Army Ranger veteran based in Raleigh, North Carolina
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Marcus served in the US Army for eight years. He did six appointments and was medically retired after severe injuries from a 2017 deployment to Afghanistan, when he was wounded in a special operations raid after a grenade detonated near his feet.
Marcus recalled the firefight during his one-on-one date with Jenn during week two and explained how the experience made him “hyperaware of the fragility of life.”
According to a profile of Marcus on the official site for Sentinels of Freedom, an nonprofit organization that supports severely wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans, Marcus spent months in recovery and underwent six surgeries.
After studying computer science at Harvard for a year, Marcus took a gap year to prioritize himself and his mental health.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Marcus is the founder of Falkor Technologies, a data analysis company that creates custom AI models.
He hasn’t been in a serious relationship in 5 years
John Fleenor/Disney
“I think I’m ready to open myself back up to being in a relationship and the possibility of love,” Marcus said at the start of the season. “I’m here to see if there’s a connection between Jenn and I. I hope love is the next mission for me.”
Rock climbing is one of Marcus’ favorite hobbies
His Instagram includes various photos from his outdoors adventures, from rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park to climbing Mount Adams Summit with his friends and taking in the views at Mount Rainier Summit.
He hopes to become an astronaut
John Fleenor/Disney
This is one of his fun facts listed in Marcus’ official ABC bio. He also told BachelorNation.com that astrophysics is his “current hyper-fixation.”
Marcus’ obsession with space explains why he dressed like an astronaut while participating in the “Thunder from Down Under” striptease competition during week three.
Marcus’ sister Gabriella is the most important person in his life
During his one-on-one date with Jenn in Seattle, Marcus got emotional about his bond with his sister Gabriella. Marcus told Jenn that they talk every day and she’s the one constant presence in his life who’s been there during the highs and lows.
While having dinner together, Marcus opened up more about his family and said that he and his sibling were born into a “rough situation” in which their parents were unstable and unfit to be guardians. Marcus told Jenn that one day, his parents took him and Gabriella to daycare and never returned for them.
“That was the start of a very rough chapter in my childhood,” Marcus said, adding that he took on the responsibility of taking care of his sister as they moved through various foster homes.
He’s a big fan of ‘New Girl’
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Per his official ABC bio, he loves binge-watching the hit sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel.
While answering rapid-fire questions for BachelorNation.com, Marcus said that Jessica Day (Deschanel) and Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) are the definition of “relationship goals.”
