Submitted Photo Leah Nesset and Artem Markelov perform their rhythm dance that they won a gold medal for at the Junior World Championship in Taipeo, Taiwan.

Leah Neset and Artem Markelov started ice skating before most children start T-ball, and by the time they were teenagers, they knew figure skating would be their careers.

Neset was born and raised in Minot. She attended Our Redeemer’s Christian School and was coached in figure skating by her mother, Cheri Neset, at the Magic City Figure Skating Club (MCFSC).

“I started skating here at the MCFSC,” Neset said. “My mom was my coach, as well as some others. Once I was a little older we started to go to Manitoba once a week, and as I got more committed we were invited to come down to Colorado Springs (Colorado) to train for a week or two in the summer.”

After seeing the level of intensity in the training at Colorado Springs, the Neset family returned the following summer, when Leah Neset first tried ice dance, a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing.

“There was a boy there looking for a partner, and after I tried it, I really liked it,” she said. “That is when we first started thinking about moving down there.”

Over the course of a year, the Neset family considered the idea and eventually made the decision to move to Colorado Springs.

For Artem Markelov, born and raised in Volzhsky, Russia, he wasn’t just moving across the country but to a completely new one.

“I started skating at 9 and at 15 I decided to commit my life to it,” Markelov said. “We had moved to Moscow to be closer to the main training center there.”

After trying to decide between different disciplines of skating, Markelov landed on ice dance.

“I really loved the artistic part of ice dance,” he said. “I like that you can truly perform and give yourself to the dance.”

After searching online for an ice partner, Markelov found Neset’s profile and reached out to her coach. In 2020, he moved to Colorado Springs.

Since the two have been partners, they have won an abundance of first-place titles. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, the pair were U.S. Junior champions. In 2023, they won first place in the Junior Grand Prix Final and World Junior champions in 2024.

While managing high school classes online, full-time training, college courses and an immense amount of travel for competitions, the two look forward to coming back to Minot every year for the annual ice show.

This year’s show, “Eras on Ice,” will be held at the Maysa Arena March 22, 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

“It is definitely fun,” Markelov said. “It’s nice not having to worry about scores. Being able to just relax and perform is really great.”

“I’m excited to just perform,” Neset said. “I heard there was going to be a big showing, so I am excited for the crowd and to see the community support.”