“Success does not come overnight, so be sure to savor the journey”
Leah Neset is an American ice dancer. With her skating partner, Artem Markelov, she is the 2024 Junior World champion, 2023–24 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix gold medalist, and a three-time U.S. junior national champion (2022, 2023, 2024)
Neset was born on December 7, 2005, in Minot, North Dakota to mother Cheri, a dental hygienist and skating coach, and father Kris, a civil engineer. She has a younger sister, Kylie.
Neset became interested in taking up skating at the age of three as her mother was involved in the sport, and her father was a college hockey player. Her mother Cheri was her first coach. Neset, along with her mother and younger sister, relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2018 in order for Neset and her then skating partner, Dimitry Tsarevski, to begin training under two-time World Junior silver medalist Elena Dostatni. The young team won the silver medal in the Intermediate ice dance category at the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships before ultimately splitting in May 2019.
Neset eventually connected with her current partner, Artem Markelov, via a Russian ice dance partner search website. A native of Volgograd, Markelov chose to relocate to the United States to partner with Neset in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed international travel.
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Leah Neset an exceptionally talented American ice dancer here she talks about her fitness routine, her diet, and her success story.
Namita Nayyar:
You were born in Minot, North Dakota, USA and relocated in 2018 to Colorado Springs, Colorado. You started skating at the age of three years and then at age of 14 years you won the silver medal in the Intermediate ice dance category at the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This later propelled your career to the height where you have been at the top of the world of ice dancing in the junior category. Tell us more about your professional journey of exceptional hard work, tenacity, and endurance?
Leah Neset:
I started my skating journey at a young age in Minot, North Dakota. My mom was a figure skater and continues to coach skating and my dad was a hockey player and continues to play and officiate hockey, so it was meant to be! While skating in North Dakota, I competed and tested freestyle, skating skills, and pattern dances, with my mom as my primary coach. When I was about ten years old, we took a trip to Colorado Springs for the first time to skate at the World Arena Ice Hall.
I found it very inspiring to see the high intensity of training of so many great skaters, and I wanted to become like them. After that first trip, we made several more visits to Colorado Springs, during one of which I had the opportunity to try out with an ice dance partner. Eventually, I moved to Colorado Springs with my family in 2018 to pursue competitive ice dance. I skated with that partner for a year and then continued to train my own personal skills until forming a partnership with my current partner, Artem Markelov, in 2020. From the first day skating together, we knew we were a good match.
Since then, we have so far skated four seasons together. During our first season together, most competitions were canceled due to the pandemic. Fortunately, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships were still held, and we were able to place 6th there. In our second season, we competed in our first international competitions and won our first Junior national title. In our third season, we earned our first international medal and competed at our first Junior World Championships. In our most recent season, we were able to have an undefeated season and become the Junior World champions. Through it all, we have grown much as skaters and as people, and we look forward to what the future holds!
Namita Nayyar:
You won Gold Medal at 2024 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, in Taipei, Taiwan. Tell us more about this spectacular achievement of yours?
Leah Neset:
Winning the gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Taipei, Taiwan was very special. It represented all the hard work that we had done, and it also gave us further ambition for the future. It was especially an honor to stand on the podium and realize that we represent more than just ourselves when we skate. We represent our country, the United States of America, as well as our coaching team and our families who have invested so much into us. While we were in Taipei City, we also had fun cheering for our teammates and visiting some of the beautiful sights there!
Namita Nayyar:
In 2021, you teamed up with Russian ice dancer Artem Markelov, and since then it has been no holding back. You both have won numerous ice dancing competitions. Tell us more about your Ice dance arenas, perfect chemistry between the two and synchronizing in perfect harmony when performing in a competition.
Leah Neset:
I am very grateful to skate with Artem. It is so special to be able to share this journey together! Working in a team is not always easy, but it is the challenges that make the journey all the more meaningful. Especially when we first started skating together, it was difficult to overcome the cultural and personality differences.
However, I think our differences make us an even better match. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to push each other to be better. We have so much fun performing, traveling, and chasing our dreams together. I think because we have such a strong connection, we are able to display that on the ice. In terms of synchronization, that is all the result of many hours of practice.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
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