Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson are entertainers - plain and simple.
The British duo made waves back in 2019 with a crowd-pleasing free routine, drawing heavily on 1970s disco influences.
That cemented Fear and Gibson as fan favourites and since then the duo have continued to push boundaries with further dances set to The Blues Brothers and Madonna.
Next February they’ll once again be making bold choices on the global stage when they make their Winter Olympic debut, dancing to a Kiss medley for their rhythm dance before a free dance to songs from The Lion King.
“We both love competing and performing in front of people. Whether there will be a crowd or not we don’t know but that’s something that really fires us up and we enjoy it,” says Gibson
“I think we’re definitely a team that people can get behind and enjoy watching because we love to entertain.”
Fear adds: “We love to entertain, to bring the crowd along for the ride and to get people on their feet and having fun, because we’re having fun.
“We know that there are people watching and we want to translate that into love and support, but once we’re performing I’d say it’s the two of us. We’re really connected and present and hope that that radiates out in our performance.”
Of the two, it is Fear who has taken the more conventional route to the top of the sport.
Born in the US to Canadian parents, Fear moved to London at the age of two and took up skating at the age of five; her younger sister, Sasha, is also a skater.
As a junior she formed a successful partnership with Jacob Payne, though when that partnership ended in 2015, she was in need of a new partner at the age of 16.
This is where she and Gibson - who trained in the same rink - first properly met and formed their partnership, a moment in time she describes as happenstance.
“It was very serendipitous as I was skating with a different partner in junior ice dance and we had split up," she said.
"Within two weeks of that partnership ending Lewis decided to switch from single skating to ice dance, so our federation suggested we try out.
“We had a trial in Scotland and instantly we had a great connection, a great working relationship and respect for one another, so it just felt like the right fit.
“It really felt like a new beginning for both of us in ice dance, and to really be training at a senior level was a challenge at the beginning but it’s come full circle now."
Gibson’s path to the Olympic Games is a little more unique.
Growing up in Prestwick on the outskirts of Glasgow, football was the 27-year-old’s main passion as a youngster
It wasn’t until a night in front of the TV where he first became inspired to take up the sport.
“I started skating after watching the first season of Dancing on Ice, with the amazing Torvill and Dean. I just thought it looked like fun,” he says.
“I always played football beforehand- a very different sport. It looked like fun, so I went along to my local rink and I enjoyed it so much.
“Honestly I just never stopped and never questioned stopping either. To be here now and going to the Olympics that Torvill and Dean were so famous for competing in is insane!”
Torvill and Dean’s triumph at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo almost 38 years ago remains an iconic British sporting moment, their legacy and impact something Fear and Gibson are both aware of.
“What they did at the Olympics is incredible in itself, but it’s not only that; it’s what they’ve done for the sport in the UK and the drive, even today with Dancing on Ice, that they give towards the sport in getting people involved,” says Gibson.
“It got me and many others involved and I hope we can do the same by bringing ice dance back on the map as a sport in the UK that we’re good at and people can get behind, as that’s what they did back then.”
Fear adds: “I’ve watched it too many times to count. It’s such an iconic and legendary performance. Even now you watch it and it gives you chills. It marks such an amazing time in history for so many people who were there at the time watching it, tuning in.
“I think the whole nation was so incredibly proud for them. It makes us so proud to represent Great Britain. They paved the way for us in ice dance, and it’s a true honour to be a part of this legacy in some small way.”
Britain have not won a medal in figure skating since Torvill and Dean came out of retirement and won bronze at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer.
And though there may be talk of a potential medal challenge as the games draw close, for now both Fear and Gibson simply want to continue improving as much as possible despite the initial excitement.
“Even when you feel it’s getting closer to becoming a reality, you still don’t let yourself believe it,” Gibson says.
“Getting to the Olympics is such a huge achievement and we go into every competition just wanting to grow and always better all of our performances, master what we do each season as well and then just see where that has us.
Fear adds: “I got very emotional because it’s a moment that I dreamed of, and for it to have actually happened, I couldn’t quite believe it. I was just so proud of our team and so, so grateful. Lewis and I had a huge hug.
“We really want to achieve as much as we possibly can in this sport. We really strive for the most growth in every single season, and we have huge goals in this sport.”
Sportsbeat 2021