Big siblings

When Spencer began his training at The Skating Club of Boston, we were a bit star-struck at first.

We had watched elite skaters like Maxim Naumov and the pairs team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe (later to be known as “big Spencer”) on TV. At Skate America in 2022, “little Spencer” even stood in a fairly long line—not something he typically had the patience for—just for a chance to meet and request an autograph from Jimmy Ma.

Suddenly, he was rubbing elbows with these skaters every day and seeing firsthand what it took to compete at the highest level of the sport.

Misha Mitrofanov was part of this cohort as well. He was an accomplished pairs skater who had won the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 2022 with partner Audrey Lu.

But by the time “little Spencer” crossed paths with him, he was a pairs team of one. Lu had decided to retire and focus on college soon after their Four Continents win, and we had heard that trial runs with other prospective partners hadn’t stuck.

Still, we saw Misha arrive at the rink every day like clockwork. He followed a disciplined solo training regimen—keeping his on-ice skills sharp, running laps around the club mezzanine, and doing off-ice drills alongside younger skaters who trained with the same coaches.

This went on for months. Honestly, it started to feel unlikely that an equally talented partner was ever going to walk through the door. But Misha always had a smile on his face, and his support for his peers never wavered—even as he sat out the competitive season.

Then one day, Spencer and I walked into the club and were surprised to see Misha skating with someone we didn’t immediately recognize. We eventually figured out it was Alisa Efimova, a well-respected pairs skater who had previously competed for Germany. Her partner had also recently retired, and Misha convinced her to come to Boston for a tryout.

Spencer and I watched a couple of their sessions that week, and it was pretty obvious they were meant to be partners. Both were individually talented and experienced, and their chemistry was immediately apparent. Smarter people than me agreed, and not long after, they made their partnership official.

It was, in many ways, a leap of faith.

Even if they reached the top—which was far from certain—they wouldn’t be eligible to compete internationally during their first season together due to the waiting period that follows a change in national affiliation. And even after that, Olympic eligibility would require U.S. citizenship.

Still, our entire family delighted in following their journey. (Well, OK—Milo was a bit indifferent.) There were bumps in the road. Certain pesky elements didn’t come easy. We even saw some occasional tears.

But to the surprise of many—but not us—they took silver at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in just their first season competing together. (We were yelling at the TV that they deserved gold.)

Just one year later, in Wichita, Kansas, Spencer and Christine were there in person to see Misha and Alisa take gold and become U.S. pairs champions.

As much as I was hurting from the loss of Christine and Spencer in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the tears really came when I thought about the young skaters back at the club who lost close friends in Spencer and Jinna—and beloved mentors in Vadim and Genia—all in an instant.

But their big siblings were looking out for them.

I found so much comfort watching videos of Jimmy, Misha, and Alisa speaking to the media back at the club. I watched them more than once in the days following the crash. They were clearly feeling the same pain we all were. But they also showed the strength and poise we needed to see.

➡️ Watch the press conference at The Skating Club of Boston »

They were looking out for me too.

Before the crash, my interactions with the elite skaters were mostly limited to smiles and nods while passing in the hallways of the club. Spencer was the star of the show. I was just the paparazzi lurking in the background with a camera most of the time.

But when I was in D.C., living the worst week of my life, I got a call from an unfamiliar number. It was Jimmy, Alisa, and Spencer’s friend Thamesy. Hearing their voices and words of support was such a lift when I really needed it. And since I’ve been back, the awkward nods have been replaced by hugs.

Last night, Misha and Alisa had the skate of their lives at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships and received a standing ovation from an adoring home crowd at Boston’s TD Garden.

They’ve earned the right to represent the U.S. at the Olympics, but Alisa does not yet have U.S. citizenship. So, the path from here remains unclear. Regardless of the final outcome, their performance at the 2025 World Championships helped secure two Olympic quota spots for U.S. pairs—and opened the door for a potential third spot, which could be earned through a secondary qualifying competition. If successful, it would mark the first time in 32 years that the U.S. has sent three pairs teams to the Olympics.

➡️ Watch Misha and Alisa’s Worlds performance »