And yet, it’s not as if Fear and Gibson aren’t already making their mark. The duo have seven British national titles to their name in ice dance, which happens to be the same number Torvill and Dean won together in their careers.
Matching his childhood idols was a dream come true for Gibson. “The reason I started skating was after watching their TV show Dancing on Ice, so just to be up there with the legends is insane,” he gushed. “And it’s kind of crazy that we still have more opportunities to win more. It was a kind of a moment that we both wanted and it was great to finally achieve that.”
Unsurprisingly, Torvill and Dean continue to serve as inspirations for Fear and Gibson. But they want to leave their own stamp on the sport, guided by what they’ve learned from years of watching their idols.
“I think something that we admire so much about them is how they really pushed the limits of the sport,” Fear explained. “They did things that were never seen before, and were just very curious and creative and took risks. And that’s something that we really love to do and has been a hallmark of our approach.
“We like touching the boards for the first time and just a bunch of little nuances that are unexpected and different and intriguing. I think that that’s something that [they] showed was possible and it’s something that we stay true to in what we do.”
Their development and creative freedom to test those limits are encouraged by training alongside some of the world’s best ice dance teams at the Ice Academy of Montreal. Despite being coached with their rivals, and seeing what everyone else is doing, Fear said there were no drawbacks to having their training mates see their programs.
“I don’t know any disadvantages,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I think it’s such a gift to be surrounded by so much talent and amazing athletes and amazing people.
“There’s just so much motivation and encouragement. And if there’s any competitive energy, it’s only in a positive way to fuel us, all of us, because we’re forced to level up each day. We see what we’re up against and it raises the level for everybody.”