冰上荣誉的背后，是四年如一日的汗水与执着。他们在克罗地亚赢得萨格勒布国际金旋挑战赛冠军，那是至今最骄傲的一刻。而在2024年世锦赛上，他们斩获第17名，这是他们在世界舞台上的最好成绩——但他们知道，未来还有更高的山峰等待征服。
他们的日常，几乎是冰上的写意人生。清晨七点半开始训练，直到午后，冰上技巧、芭蕾、体能，每一项都精准而专注。之后，他们还要继续学习各种舞蹈——从霹雳舞到交际舞，从嘻哈到古典芭蕾，只为在冰面上表达更深的情绪与灵魂。
他们说：“我们热爱这种节奏，它不是消耗，而是滋养。”
而每个周末，是他们重新充电的方式。詹姆斯喜欢在高尔夫球场上放空自我，把一整周的压力随球击出；菲比则喜欢城市的街头，朋友的陪伴，音乐与咖啡香交织的自由时光。他们明白，想要一直滑下去，必须学会如何在生活里呼吸。
可这一切来得并不容易。十五岁那年，他们离开家乡，飞往大洋彼岸的美国，追逐冰上的梦想：“当时我还只是个孩子，第一次离开家，语言不熟，生活琐碎，每件事都要靠自己，包括换手机号这种看似简单的小事。”菲比回忆说。
他们曾因签证问题差点赶不上欧洲锦标赛，训练时间一再被压缩，却仍然在最后一刻拼尽全力站上冰面。那一刻，他们终于明白：滑冰不仅仅是关于得分和排名，更是关于信念、情感、坚持，还有——不放弃的勇气。
在世界青年锦标赛前夕，詹姆斯的父亲离世。沉重的情绪让他几乎无法站上冰场。是朋友的一句话点醒了他：“你今天不是去比赛，你只是去滑冰。” 这句话，成了他心中永远的信条。不是为了赢，而是为了表达。不是为了证明，而是为了连接。
滑冰，对他们来说，是世界上最接近“飞翔”的事情。在冰上，他们释放情绪、讲述故事、连接观众。他们相信，这项运动不仅能触动人心，更能唤醒人们对美、对爱的感知。
“如果有一天我们老了，不能再滑冰了……只要能回望这段旅程，真诚地说‘我全力以赴过，真的热爱过’，那就够了。”
因为他们知道，冰舞生涯是短暂的，但热爱和梦想，是永恒的。
Exclusive Interview with May Zhao: Chasing Ice Dance Dreams and Aiming for the Winter Olympics – British Rising Stars Step Onto the World Stage
They are the rising stars of British ice danc: Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez, a perfectly synchronized pair on the ice. Two-time silver medalists at the ISU Junior Grand Prix and double British Junior National Champions, they stepped onto the senior stage in 2025, making their World Championship debut with a James Bond-inspired free dance. Bold and brimming with promise, they have now set their sights on their next goal: the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
Behind their accolades lies a story of unwavering dedication and perseverance. One of their proudest achievements came in Croatia, where they claimed gold at the Golden Spin of Zagreb, an international victory that stands as a testament to their progress. At the 2024 World Championships, they placed 17th, their best result on the global stage yet—but they know the summit still lies ahead.
Their daily routine is almost a poetic portrait of life on ice. Training begins at 7:30 a.m. and continues into the afternoon, precision and focus poured into skating technique, ballet, and conditioning. Beyond the rink, they immerse themselves in all forms of dance—from breakdancing to ballroom, hip-hop to classical ballet—all in pursuit of deeper emotional and artistic expression on the ice.
“We love this rhythm,” they say. “It doesn’t drain us, it nourishes us.”
Weekends are their time to recharge. James finds his reset on the golf course, letting the pressure of the week fly with each swing. Phebe prefers the city streets, the company of friends, and the comforting blend of music and coffee. They understand that to keep skating forward, they must first learn how to breathe in everyday life.
But none of this came easily. At just fifteen, they left home and crossed the ocean to the United States in pursuit of their skating dream. “I was still a kid,” Phebe recalls. “It was my first time away from home. I didn’t know the language well. Even the small things, like changing a phone number, I had to figure out on my own.”
At one point, a visa issue almost caused them to miss the European Championships. Training time was drastically cut, but they still gave everything they had to make it to the ice. In that moment, they finally understood, skating isn’t just about scores and rankings. It’s about belief, emotion, perseverance, and most of all, the courage to never give up.
On the eve of the World Junior Championships, James’s father passed away. The grief was so overwhelming he could barely step onto the ice. It was a friend’s words that brought him back: “You’re not going to compete today. You’re just going to skate.” That sentence became his guiding light:- not to win, but to express. Not to prove, but to connect.
For them, skating is the closest thing to flying. On the ice, they release emotion, tell stories, and connect with the audience. They believe this sport has the power not only to move people, but to awaken a deeper sense of beauty and love in the world.
“If one day we grow old and can no longer skate… as long as we can look back and say, ‘I gave it my all. I truly loved it,’ that will be enough.”
Because they know: an ice dance career may be short, but love and dreams… they are forever.