When Vadym Kolesnik was three years old, his grandmother, Nina Nuryahmetova, brought him to the local ice rink in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She watched her grandson skate across the ice for the first time, managing to glide a few feet where other kids were struggling to stay upright on the ice. “That’s, in her opinion, when she knew that [I’m] going to be a skater,” Kolesnik said.

Despite his parents’ initial reluctance to allow him to pursue skating, Nuryahmetova was undeterred. She bought her grandson his first pair of skates and took him to the rink to train almost every day for the next four years. “No matter what weather it is, no matter what time it is, she, on schedule, was taking me to skate,” Kolesnik said. 

Kolesnik started as a singles skater like many young skaters do when first learning the fundamental techniques of the sport. He struggled to find a coach at first, with many turning him away due to his weight. Despite the rejection, he continued to return to the rink until a coach finally agreed to take him on. By the time Kolesnik was 10, he had switched to ice dance, training under Halyna Churilova in Kharkiv.

In 2016, Kolesnik arrived in the United States for the first time for a tryout with coach Igor Shpilband in Detroit. The initial tryout didn’t work out the way Kolesnik had hoped, and he ended up returning to Ukraine. But Shpilband saw potential in Kolesnik’s skating and invited him to train with his group in Detroit. 

“He proposed for me to move here and just try, and that's exactly what I did,” Kolesnik said. “I packed my luggage and came back. From that point on, it was just a journey for me.”

Kolesnik and his mother, Svitlana, initially were denied re-entry to the U.S. due to issues with their visas. While her son was able to obtain a longer-term visa, Svitlana was forced to remain behind. In the spring of 2017, Kolesnik arrived in the United States to pursue a career in ice dance, newly turned 15 and alone. 

“It was pretty difficult for me at first because I didn't know much English,” Kolesnik recalled. “It was hard for me to understand at first, so I knew I had to pick up fast, and that's what I've been trying to do ever since.”

Kolesnik lived with his former partner, Avonley Nguyen, and her family until his 18^th birthday. The pair competed together for three seasons, earning silver at the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final and capturing the world junior title in 2020 while representing the United States. It was the catalyst for Kolesnik’s journey to acquiring U.S. citizenship, which he obtained on August 18, 2025.

“After winning junior worlds representing U.S., it was just a huge honor for me,” he said. “At that point, I already lived in U.S. for a long time, and I just felt that was natural for me.”

Nguyen and Kolesnik ended their partnership shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving Kolesnik searching for a partner for nearly two years. He was celebrating his birthday in Ukraine when Shpilband called to let him know he might have found him a new partner.

Emilea Zingas was a singles skater who competed for her paternal grandparents’ country Cyprus, becoming the first Cypriot skater to qualify for the World Championships in 2021. Her expressive performances caught Shpilband’s eye, and he suggested she try her hand at ice dancing in a tryout with Kolesnik. The duo connected instantly.

“I didn't know much about her, but the way we were skating together, it just felt right,” Kolesnik said. “She responded to every move I was doing. She was so honest. She was just very, very brave in my opinion.” 

They announced their partnership in March 2022, making their international debut representing the United States that December at CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. Kolesnik and Zingas rapidly progressed over the next three years as they found their rhythm as a pair, culminating in a breakthrough on the Grand Prix circuit this season. 

Two Grand Prix medals and a Grand Prix Final debut later, the duo found themselves in contention for a spot on the Olympic team coming into their fourth national championships. For most, the stakes alone would have been paralyzing. Kolesnik felt otherwise.

“This whole season, we were the underdogs,” he said. “Nobody really expected us to go to the Olympics. A lot of people there, it was expected of them. For us, it was just a dream. [We were] going to go out there and enjoy [our] time.”

Kolesnik and Zingas dazzled the crowd with their free dance rendition of “Romeo and Juliet,” posting a total score of 213.65 points for a second-place finish. The dream became a reality, and they now find themselves with a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. 

“It means the world to me,” Kolesnik said. “I feel like U.S. did so much for me, and I just want to pay it back. This is the best way I can pay it back. It's a huge honor.”

While Kolesnik has been riding the high of his success in the United States, the shadows of the ongoing invasion of his beloved homeland are ever-present. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine days after the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Kolesnik’s family, all of whom remained in Kharkiv, immediately were caught in its path. 

“Sometimes, I try to isolate myself from this,” Kolesnik said. “But how much can I isolate myself from this? I'm here and more than half of my family is there. You never know what's going to happen. They do say that they're safe, but it's a war. A lot of people die every day.”

His father, Igor, lost his appliance business during the conflict while his brother enlisted in the Ukrainian army, something Kolesnik said he would have done himself if he was back home. Many of Kolesnik’s classmates fighting in the war either have been badly injured or lost their lives. 

“I remember I couldn't contact my family for like a week because they just couldn't reach back to me,” Kolesnik said. “Knowing that my brother's serving, you never know what's going to happen. It was very hard. There were nights when I couldn't sleep. I was just thinking of the worst.”

Svitlana was able to join her son in Detroit in 2023, but Igor remained behind to take care of Kolesnik’s grandmothers. While the war weighs heavily on Kolesnik’s mind, he’s found joy in his skating to ease his worries and nerves. He credits Zingas and his coaches for creating a supportive environment that guides him day-by-day no matter what.

For Kolesnik, the realization of his Olympic dream after years of sacrifice and discipline made the hardships he faced worth it. The only thing missing was the presence of his family, witnessing the dream they’d all sacrificed for after years apart. 

The 24-year-old launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to bring his family safely from Ukraine to the Olympics. As of January 23, Kolesnik has raised enough money to bring two of his family members to see him compete in Milan. With his father taking care of his family in Kharkiv and his mother unable to travel for her own safety due to her visa, Kolesnik will be bringing his aunt and sister-in-law from Ukraine. 

Despite the war impeding his family’s reunion, they’re no less enthusiastic about seeing Kolesnik succeed.

“They're super excited for me,” Kolesnik said. “They know that this was my dream since I was young, and they always supported me. They just keep praising me for going out there and trying to achieve [my] goals. Every time I talk to them, they bring me so much.” 

The campaign also serves to raise funds for Kolesnik and Zingas’ training and competition costs, including coaching fees, ice time, and choreography training. “Our sport is not cheap,” Kolesnik said. That might be an understatement. 

According to Money, private coaching fees can cost anywhere from $65 to $120 an hour while additional coaching and choreographers can cost up to $5,000 a year. Business Insider estimates the average price of an Olympic figure skating costume is $3,000 with an additional $1,000 going to skates. Not to mention, travel and miscellaneous costs incurred while traveling around the world for competitions add additional charges to the mix.

“For a lot of people, unfortunately, even if they have a physical ability, they just can't pay a lot of the coaching fees,” Kolesnik said. “If they're in their early stages of the career, they don't win the competitions that help them support themselves.”

“For me, I'm blessed that I have people who support me, who can make these dreams for me come true. But this is actually the first season where we haven't done results to be able to support ourselves because coaching is extremely, extremely costly.”

It’s been a long road for Kolesnik. With all the support he and Zingas have received since their performance at nationals and their recent victory at the Four Continents Championships propelling them mere weeks ahead of the Games, he’s set to make a memorable debut in Milan.

“I'm eternally grateful to all the people who donated so I can see my family at the Olympics there, taking the biggest stage ever and probably sharing the biggest moment of my life there,” Kolesnik said. “When I was younger, I could only dream about things like this. This is dreams coming true for me.”