The usually sassy and fierce pair of Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson have chosen to be vulnerable this season – and it has paid off.
The ice dance pair are known for their fun-filled performances that have won them a whole host of fans and plenty of podiums on the global circuit.
But this campaign has been different. The stakes are higher and so are the standings, with the pair becoming the first British ice dance pair to medal at the Grand Prix Final earlier this month.
“The first word that came to mind is belief,” Fear said when asked to pinpoint the reason for the upturn in their results.
“We’ve been training in a way that has elevated ourselves. We are really holding ourselves to a higher standard to try and make things better and enhance things whenever we could. Then we just go for it.”
Gibson added: “It’s self-belief, confidence in ourselves, trusting our choices and our decisions for the music. Our whole season in general was a huge goal for us this year and it is really paying off.
“When we go to these events, let’s dream a little bigger, set our sights a little further and see what we can get from that. So far, it has been fun and successful.”
Fear and Gibson finished third at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Grenoble behind world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA and European champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy.
The pair qualified for the final having become the first non-American ice dance winners at Skate America since 2008, beating Chock and Bates into second, before topping the podium again at the Finlandia Trophy.
Fear and Gibson, who have been in a partnership since 2016, have changed tack with their free dance routine this year, tapping into a more emotional side – though Beyonce continues to provide the soundtrack.
Fear said: “We have all these layers within ourselves as people and most of the time you see the pure entertainment and enjoyment factor.
“But we are also deep, we feel emotions and we have gone through things in life like anyone.
“We want to be able to show that more vulnerable, exposed side and that deep emotion.
“There was a little bit of a surprise, too, because people weren’t expecting it. That is the point, we want to show we could be versatile and have these layers to us.
“Then of course we have to do a dance break and a strut down the ice to Beyoncé moment, because what else would a Lilah and Lewis programme without that?!
“It is really fun to show there is a really range to us as performers and to try something different this year. It has really paid off and been extremely fulfilling.”
The rhythm dance sees the pair embody the 1970s, as they dance to a medley of disco songs.
However, the fun and carefree way in which Fear and Gibson perform should not take anything away from the complexity of their routines.
Prestwick native Gibson explained how bringing their personalities into the dances allows them to stand out.
He said: “In our sport, it is so restrictive in terms of building your levels in terms of anything like lifts.
“So, a lot of people will see things and copy things but when you are at the top you need a thing of uniqueness and difference.
“But when that is season upon season, it is really difficult to keep coming up with something new so you are always pushing the limits on different things.
“We need the trust and we need to really believe we are going to be ok doing things because otherwise we just follow others.”
The next steps as Fear and Gibson forge their own path sees them aim for gold at the European Championships before heading to the World Championships with the opportunity to qualify a quota spot for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The duo made their Games debut at Beijing 2022, finishing inside the top 10, and are relishing the opportunity to experience an Olympics in front of full crowds.
And while they are following in the tracks of the legendary Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, they aim to inspire the next generation themselves.
“I hope it is a sign for younger skaters in the UK to see what is possible,” Gibson said.
“We achieved this and we are not the most talented athletes, so I hope it is also inspiring in that respect.”
Fear continued: “Natural talent doesn’t mean anything if you don’t work hard and for us, we both really believe in ourselves.
“We are really driven with huge work ethics. As a result, we have really been able to improve and achieve our dreams. It is possible for anyone.”
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