Helena Carhart and Volodymyr "Vova" Horovyi will proudly represent the United States this week at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2023 in Calgary, Canada. It's the culmination of their first international season – and a moment that Horovyi probably never expected when he began skating.
"My story starts from far away," Horovyi said.
Horovyi was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and grew up skating there. He switched to ice dance at a young age and had a six-year partnership with Ukrainian skater Anna Chernyavskaya. When that ended in 2017, Horovyi faced a big decision.
"I was searching for a partner, and I had invitations from Russia; from Kyiv, Ukraine; and from Israel," Horovyi said. "One girl was asking me to come [to the United States]. I was already thinking about America, that I could grow more as a figure skater here than in Ukraine. I was seeing this perspective on the future."
So 15-year-old Horovyi came to the United States to join Marina Zoueva's ice dance group. His first partnership here didn't work out, but the move ultimately led him to Helena Carhart.
Carhart was a singles skater from New York, who relocated to Florida to try ice dance.
"I started doing ice dance here by myself. I didn't know what a clean turn was [at first]. It was fun learning something new and testing myself. I didn't think that I would find a partner," Carhart recalled. "But then–"
"I came," Horovyi said.
Although Horovyi was an experienced ice dancer, he was not put off by Carhart's newness to the discipline.
"Helena was talented, and she was pushing herself so hard to work and [be] better. Her skating was amazing," Horovyi said.
He took it as a challenge to help Carhart learn the ins and outs of partnered ice dance.
"It was really fun to explain stuff. Although sometimes Helena doesn't want to listen to me," he said with a smile.
"Stop! I do listen!" Carhart protested, laughing.
Carhart and Horovyi started training together in August 2019, competing at the novice level. Then in early 2020, when the pandemic hit, Horovyi had to return to Ukraine to complete high school exams and renew his visa. The couple was apart for nine months.
"We were still partners, but we missed the 2020-21 season. Even though it was a short season [due to COVID-19]," Carhart said. "I skated by myself to work on my own skills. When he came back, it didn't feel strange. Our partnership is so easy. We get along really well, and we have fun on the ice. We joke a lot. Sometimes we have to bring it back and get focused, make sure we're doing our job. But we have a really good relationship. I wouldn't want to skate with anyone other than Vova."
The duo started competing as juniors in fall 2021 and finished fifth in junior ice dance at the 2022 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The next month, Russia invaded Ukraine. Horovyi's home city, Kharkiv, saw heavy fighting and shelling.
"Kharkiv is the closest city in Ukraine to Russia," Horovyi said. "My dad right away said to my mom and my brother, 'You go on the other side of Ukraine, where it's safer.'"
Horovyi's mother and brother moved to western Ukraine, where his brother is studying to become a doctor. His father remained in Kharkiv for work. His safety is an ongoing concern for Horovyi.
"It's difficult. My family is trying to survive," Horovyi said of the war. "When [it] started, nobody thought [it would be] extended. They thought maybe it will be a few days, and that's it. But now it's a year, and they have a lot of problems. They're still trying to work. We just want to live peacefully. Right now it's hard, for all Ukrainians, even those in different countries."
Luckily, Carhart and Horovyi's debut on the Junior Grand Prix circuit last fall provided a rare opportunity for Horovyi to see his mother. The duo competed at two consecutive events in Gdansk, Poland, finishing fifth and eighth.
"Ukraine to Poland is very close," Horovyi said. "It was very nice to see my mom. My brother and my dad can't leave the country [due to restrictions for military-age men]. It went so fast. Three days was like 15 minutes. I would like to see her again. Hopefully in the future, maybe in the next season, I can see her again. Or maybe the war will finish [by then]."
Horovyi and Carhart were excited to make their international debut for the United States.
"I had never competed internationally or represented Team USA, and that was a dream for me when I was younger," Carhart said. "It was surreal, getting to be part of Team USA and have the jackets and compete."
"I would say it was my dream as well, to get jackets saying USA, with the flag. It's cool, representing a big country," Horovyi added. "Of course, we had nerves. You're worried; you want to do your best. Sometimes there can be mistakes, but it's okay. You push yourself harder next time."
In January, Carhart and Horovyi earned the silver medal at the 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships. They were named to the team for Junior Worlds in Canada, and began preparations, including endurance training. Calgary sits at 3,428 feet of elevation, quite a bit higher than their sea-level training base in Florida.
"Working on stamina is very important for us," Horovyi said. "And of course, strength, speed and emotion."
The couple's intense, dramatic free dance is set to Tom Odell's "Long Way Down" and "Another Love." Carhart said she found the music herself.
"I saved the day," she joked, in regard to the music. "Our coaches wanted us to skate to a Hungarian folk song. I had heard [this music], and I thought, 'Let me just play it [for them]. Maybe then, we don't have to skate to the Hungarian folk song.' I played it, and they all really liked it."
"Usually by the end of the season, you can be tired [of your music]. But this music, I still love it," Horovyi enthused.
Carhart and Horovyi want to showcase their presentation skills at Junior Worlds.
"Right now, we have stability in elements. We have [the elements] clean, we have the levels. It's our strong side," Horovyi said. "We're working on emotions."
"Not just doing the elements and transitions," Carhart added. "We hope that we can connect to the audience and the judges and touch something in their hearts."
Ilia Tkachenko, one of their coaches, said that Carhart and Horovyi "made a huge step forward in their performance and skating skills, compared to last season. They look more mature. They are getting ready for that senior transition."
Off the ice, 17-year-old Carhart is a junior in high school. She has three sisters, all of whom compete in figure skating. Her older sister, Adrienne, represents Azerbaijan in ice dance with partner Oleksandr Kolosovskyi.
Horovyi, 20, is doing online courses toward a university degree in Ukraine. He also teaches Learn to Skate classes and wants to be a skating coach after his competitive career.
Horovyi expects to start his U.S. citizenship process by applying for a green card after Junior Worlds. It's a way to solidify his connection to his adopted country – while keeping his home country, Ukraine, in his heart.
