It’s all coming to an end. For them it was the last camera lock and also the last rehearsal. November 26 marks the season 33 finale of Dancing With the Stars, and while all five couples will do their best to win the Mirror Ball trophy, it’s a bittersweet moment as their journey comes to an end go. That’s exactly how Stephen Nedoroscik and his professional dance partner Rylee Arnold feel. Their connection wasn’t just professional; it went beyond that as they formed a sibling bond.

Earlier this month in fact Nedoroscik and his girlfriend Tess McCraken accompanied Arnold and her boyfriend Walker Lyons on a double date. They visited the ‘Evil‘ premiered in Los Angeles on November 9th and Arnold couldn’t stop raving about it. “Me, Stephen, Tess and Walker fit together really well. We had such a great time and honestly one of my favorite date nights.” she shared. The dancer even joked that Nedoroscik approves of her new boyfriend, who is a USC freshman tight end. But the couples may not get another date night like this soon as DWTS comes to an end.

Since the entire journey has been an emotional rollercoaster for her, Arnold had a message Nedoroscik. On November 25, DWTS’s Instagram handle shared a one-minute snippet in which she said, “Stephen, I’m already crying because I have so much love for you in my heart. I’m so, so, so, so proud of you. You showed me every week how hard you work and how inspiring you are.”

“You took this life and just made the best of it. It’s so cool to see your journey. It all started with you being the pommel horse guy, working so hard at your craft, and now here you are on the Dancing With the Stars stage. We made it to the final, which is so crazy, and I’m so glad my first ever final is with you. It will be very special.”

“Thank you for being the light in my life. You bring so much positivity and kindness and you have truly healed me in so many ways and I am so grateful that you are my partner in this season. I can’t wait to finish this finale. We will win the mirror ball. I just know we can do it. I am so proud of you and I love you. Thank you for being the best friend ever.” Arnold shared her feelings with a trembling voice.

While Nedoroscik has struggled with strabismus and coloboma – two eye diseases – since childhood, while Arnold has suffered from type 1 diabetes for three years. Although it was one of the most difficult times in her life, seeing Nedoroscik’s success despite his health problems also seems to have changed her perspective on life.

But hey, it wasn’t just Rylee Arnold who had an emotional message for her dance partner. Nedoroscik also had a message for Arnold. What did he say?

Stephen Nedoroscik looks back on his journey with DWTS and Arnold

Nedoroscik was not a dancer and could have imagined being on such a large stage. As a child from Worcester he was quite active and climbed everything he could. He would climb the walls to scare his babysitters, but dance? That wasn’t his thing. But today he can proudly proclaim that he is a dancer who can execute his gymnastics moves on the biggest stage.

In his message to Arnold he said: “Hey, Rylee! I just want to look back on the season, on my journey with you. You were just incredibly positive. You were so patient with me and honestly I don’t think I would have made it to the finals with literally anyone else.”

“And you are just the kindest, sweetest person and it just means everything to me that you trust me. You guided me through the process and made me a dancer. And I loved every second of our journey together and I’m going to miss your burps and all that fun stuff and yeah, I love you and let’s fucking get that mirror ball.”

The IG reel shared by DWTS was so emotional that fans mentioned in the comments section how much they would miss seeing the duo. But hey, let’s not forget that the finale is still to come and it will take place in a few hours. In the final, two Olympians, Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher, will fight for the trophy.

Who do you think will win this season? Let us know in the comments below.