COLORADO SPRINGS — The end to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games means sports fans are that much closer to the start of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. A few athletes in Colorado Springs are already preparing for the chance to compete at Milano Cortina. We caught up with local figure skaters who have Olympic aspirations.
For Leah Neset, skating was meant to be. She began skating at the age of three, following her parents path to the ice.
“My mom was a figure skater and my dad was a hockey player,” Leah said.
Originally from Minot, North Dakota, Leah began her skating career there, before moving to Colorado Springs in 2018.
“I moved to train with coach Elena Dostatni. That's when I started ice dancing with a partner,” Leah said.
Artem Markelov is Leah’s partner. He came to the United States in 2020 to compete in ice dancing with Leah.
“It's a cool balance between artistry and athleticism, and I think what makes ice dance unique is the close connection with a partner,” Leah said.
Leah and Artem said they spend nearly four to five hours a day practicing their routine.
“So we try to remember all the corrections we've been told to make and just try to improve every single time,” Leah said. “We definitely do get nervous but once the music starts the nerves, go away."
The duo glides gracefully across the ice, making ice skating look effortless.
Leah said many of the elements in their routine are classified as the highest level of difficulty in ice dancing, which increases the risk of injury. To improve her strength, Leah began working with the Female Athlete Program at Children's Hospital Colorado.
“So, the Female Athlete Program at Children's Hospital Colorado is a program designed to provide holistic, comprehensive care to young female athletes, and it's a team including myself as the sports medicine physician and then a sports dietitian. We see athletes together in our clinic for that that CO management, and then we bring in other specialists, including mental health therapists, physical therapists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, as needed based on each athlete's needs,” Dr. Armento said.
It's the only female specific sports machine program in Colorado.
“A lot of our work is actually optimizing nutrition and helping athletes to learn how to fuel their bodies best for recovery from injury, but also from an injury prevention and sports performance perspective,” Dr. Armento said.
Dr. Armento works in the Female Athlete program. She said it has been in development over the last several years and now they are seeing more athlete referrals.
“I would say the most common referrals that we see are athletes who are struggling with bone stress injuries, also known as stress reactions or stress fractures in the bone. It's called relative energy deficiency in sport, which is a constellation of symptoms, both physiological and sports performance that can occur when an athlete isn't fueling adequately. We also see referrals for menstrual irregularities, for bone health, the female athlete triad, which is the connection of nutrition, bone health and menstrual health in the female athlete,” Dr. Aremento said.
Dr. Armento was a marathon runner. She said her experience as an athlete helps her better relate to her patients, allowing her to provide them with the best care.
“I definitely feel like I can relate to a lot of what my patients are going through, and I think that perspective is helpful to provide a more empathetic, compassionate approach to athletes, especially when they're struggling with injuries that are keeping them out of sport,” Dr. Armento said.
She said the program helps young athletes achieve the best health and sports performance that they can and promotes longevity in sport.
“I have been excited to see the narrative and sport shift over the years and emphasize the importance of mental health. I think in the female athlete space shifting away from this idea that thin is faster, or really trying to achieve this specific body type, because unfortunately, that can often lead people to engage in restrictive eating behaviors that can really be harmful. It's exciting to see really strong female athletes at the Olympic level, kind of using their platform to promote healthy relationships with food and their body,” Dr. Armento said.
Dr. Armento helps young female athletes including Leah.
“Leah's been working with the female athlete program over the last several years now to optimize her health and her sports performance from a sports medicine and a sports nutrition approach,” Dr. Armento said.
Leah said the program has really helped her grow and she recommended it to other athletes competing at a high level.
“They really helped me to optimize my nutrition, to help my bones and help my body and to be as healthy as I could be and perform at my best,” Leah said.
Leah has won back to back to back U.S. Junior National Championship.
“We got 2022, 23 and 2024,” Leah said.
She is also the 2024 Junior World Champion and the 2023 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion. This season will be her first time competing at the senior level and her goal is gold.
“Our goal is someday we would love to represent the United States in the Olympics,” Leah said.
It is a dream she continues to skate towards.
To get connected to the Female Athlete Program at Children's Hospital Colorado, visit their website.
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