“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.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2024 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
Immense contribution of your choreographers Massimo Scali, Elena Dostatni and Nikolai Morozov from behind the scenes of your many successes on the ice dance competitions. Tell us more about their extraordinary role to the pinnacle of success you have achieved.
Leah Neset:
Each year in the spring, we must create new programs for the coming season. Throughout our career, we have worked with several different choreographers. In the most recent season, our rhythm dance was choreographed by Kaitlyn Weaver, and our free dance was choreographed by Nikolai Morozov.
They both did an amazing job, and we really enjoyed skating the programs. Massimo Scali created a very fun show program for us this past season, which we really enjoyed performing as well. Our choreographers always play a very important role in our skating, and we are very grateful for their expertise!
Namita Nayyar:
How your coaches Elena Dostatni and Andrzej Dostatni have played as a catalyst to your meteoric rise as an ice dancer in the world arena.
Leah Neset:
We are very fortunate to have an amazing coaching team. Elena is very invested in every aspect of our skating. She puts so much time and effort into all the details of our programs like our music and choreography, and even the hair, makeup, accessories, and more. She gives all that she has to help us be the best that we can be.
She pushes us to improve every day, and she encourages us to reach for goals we never would have thought possible on our own. She also cares about us as people beyond our skating and always gives thought to our well-being and personal development. Andrzej is also a great part of our coaching team. He always gives us helpful insights for our skating. He especially provides helpful feedback for the technical aspect of our skating, as he is a technical specialist.
Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you may wish to share?
Leah Neset:
Our training regime consists of a combination of on-ice and off-ice training. We usually spend about four hours on the ice each day during the week. For off-ice training, we have 1-2 classes per day consisting of ballet, modern dance, ballroom dance, yoga, stretching, and we also work with an acrobat and gymnast for our lifts. Additionally, we have a workout once a week with a professional trainer. In these weekly workouts, we begin with a fifteen-minute core warm-up. We then do a workout circuit consisting of a combination of exercises with and without weights to train our arms, legs, and core.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you train your abs? One secret to your toned body.
Leah Neset:
That is very nice of you! Our workout instructor has provided us with a routine that exercises our core. It consists of variety of exercises, such as plank with hip dips, superman’s, side plank with hip dips, and other exercises. We repeat this routine every week during our workout.
Namita Nayyar:
Do you take a special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Leah Neset:
I suppose I do not have a special diet, but I do believe that nutrition is important. I work with a nutritionist to ensure that I am fueling properly to keep up with training at a high intensity. She has helped me a lot with my nutrition by making sure that I am getting enough of the nutrients needed to fuel my training and keep my body healthy.
Namita Nayyar:
Five foods you absolutely love and five you keep to a minimum.
Leah Neset:
I love a variety of foods and especially enjoy trying the cuisine of different places that we travel to. This year we had the opportunity to travel to Japan, and I really enjoyed the sushi there, even though I was not previously a big fan of fish. We have also had the opportunity to travel to Europe several times, and I always enjoy the breakfast there, especially the coffee!
Some foods that I especially enjoy at home are eggs and toast for breakfast in the morning, stir fry, and I always love a good smoothie. One food that I also love is Borsht, which is a soup with beets, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. It takes a long time to make, so I don’t have it very often, but it is one of my favorite foods that Artem cooks.
I am not an overly picky eater, so there are not a whole lot of foods that I don’t like. I suppose I am somewhat picky about my fish, as I only really like it if it is fresh. I also am not a fan of really spicy foods, and I am not quite adventurous enough to try foods like liver, chicken hearts, or fish that still have the eyes and scales, etc.
In terms of for health, I do not necessarily avoid certain foods, but I do try to choose healthier options over less healthy options. For example, when possible, I try to choose whole grains over refined grains, and healthy fats, like avocados, over less healthy fats, like butter. I also try to choose natural foods over highly processed foods.
Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Share with us your hair care and skincare routine.
Leah Neset:
Thank you so much! My skin is naturally very dry, so with my skincare routine, I focus on both cleaning and moisturizing my skin. In the morning, I always use a gentle face wash and lotion before applying my foundation. For my foundation, I like to use Clinique Moisture Surge, because it gives some extra moisture to my skin and also works as a light sunscreen. Before I go to bed, I use micellar water as a makeup remover, and I apply Amlactin lotion to my hands.
For my hair care, I usually get a haircut a week or two before competition. This year I have been getting partial highlights as well. At home, I keep it pretty simple and shampoo and condition my hair every other day with natural products. Currently, my favorite product is Hair Food.
Namita Nayyar:
Five athletic leisure brands you love to wear.
Leah Neset:
I have several athletic leisure brands that I love to wear. Five that I especially like are JIV, Joja, Athleta, Lululemon, and Calia.
Namita Nayyar:
Five travel destinations on your wish list.
Leah Neset:
Some travel destinations I would love to visit as a tourist are Paris, Venice, and Hawaii. The top location on my travel wish list is Artem’s hometown of Volgograd, Russia, because I would love to meet his family and friends and see where he grew up. I would also love to visit Uganda and Columbia someday to meet the children who my family sponsors there through Compassion International and Children’s International.
Namita Nayyar:
What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and the message for its visitors?
Leah Neset:
The Women’s Fitness website is very cool! I especially find it very interesting and inspiring to read the athlete feature stories.
Namita Nayyar:
In sports like Ice dancing how you were able to overcome any physical or sports injury setbacks and what advice you can give to those in a similar situation?
Leah Neset:
I have been very fortunate to not have many injuries. However, I did have an injury in December of 2022 in which a tendon in my finger was severed by a skate blade. It was about a month before nationals, and I had to have surgery to repair the tendon. As a result, I competed with a brace. It was interesting to skate our programs without the use of my hand, but luckily, we were able to do all our elements with only minor modifications.
It was not great timing for an injury, but it made for a pretty good story! Artem and I also were able to learn a lot through the situation, as it forced us to work together and adapt. Although I have never faced anything major, my advice would be to make the most out of the situation. I believe that injuries provide a great opportunity to learn and can very effectively teach patience and perseverance.
Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding Ice dancer girls, who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of ice dancing?
Leah Neset:
My advice is to be patient and keep working hard. If you are looking for a partner, make the most of your time of search to build your own skills and become the best that you can be. Know that although the search may sometimes feel never ending, it is worth the wait to find the right partner. Don’t give up!
If you have a partner already, remember to work together with your partner and be patient with each other and the process. Success does not come overnight, so be sure to savor the journey. Be prepared that it will not always be easy but remember that it is the challenges overcome that make the process rewarding and there is always something new to learn every day!
Leah Neset Social Media Presence
Instagram: @leahneset
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2024 Women Fitness