I have a confession to make. While most people are tuning into the Winter Olympics for the high-speed thrill of the downhill skiing or the grit of the ice hockey, you’ll find me glued to the screen for something altogether more… sparkly.
I am a total, unashamed, ice dancing fan!
There is something about the combination of athletic prowess and sheer storytelling that gets me every time. Last night, I watched with bated breath (and eventually, a very heavy heart) as Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson took to the ice. We were all rooting for them to break that 32-year medal drought since the legendary Torvill and Dean last took to Olympic ice, but "crushing disappointment" is an understatement.
Watching them crash out so badly was gut-wrenching. You could feel the collective gasp of the nation as those podium dreams slipped away in a matter of seconds. In reality, the bronze was always going to be a stretch, but it was doable if that routine had come off flawlessly.
They entered the free dance (the final furlong) in 4th place and the Canadians and Italians are both excellent teams - I actually ended up being delighted to see Gilles and Poirier of Canada end their career with that long coveted Olympic medal. But watching Lilah and Lewis skate that wonderful routine of theirs, the worst I have seen them perform it all season, was heartbreaking. 7th is still something to be proud of, but the world bronze medalists will be devastated that they couldn't at least hang on to 4th place.
Of course, the drama didn't start (or end) there. I’ve been rooting for the American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates for gold, since the legendary Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron retired after the last Olympics. Alas, that wasn’t to be either and the US three-time world champions had to settle for silver, after the skating world was left reeling when Cizeron returned with a new partner for this Olympic season - and claimed gold again last night.
All in the shadow of his previous gold medal winning partner Gabriella Papadakis, releasing her explosive memoir: Pour ne pas disparaître (So as Not to Disappear) mere weeks ago. In the book, Gabi paints a chilling picture of their partnership, describing Cizeron as “controlling" and admitting she was afraid to be alone with him.
The Silent Pressure of the Rink
The most heart-breaking part of Gabriella’s story isn't the scores (they narrowly missed out on the gold in 2018 to idols Virtue and Moir, before eventually claiming it in 2022); it's what happened behind the scenes. In her book, she opens up about her experience with abortion, a decision she made while under the immense pressure of an elite sporting world that often treats female athletes as assets rather than human beings.
While Gabi maintains the decision was hers, the environment she describes is one where performance is the only currency. She recounts the cold response from those around her, including allegations that she was simply told to "take care of it" so she could return to training. She describes the aftermath as a period of profound "burnout" and "immense suffering," where she felt she was disappearing into the demands of her career and suicidal thoughts.
It leads us to a vital question: In a world of "choices," how many women are actually free to choose life?
The Truth About Coercion
Gabriella’s story of feeling "under the grip" of a system that didn't value her vulnerability is not an isolated one. While the BBC recently reported that 15% of women in the UK feel pressured into an abortion they didn't want, other studies suggest the reality is far more pervasive. Research published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons and data from the Charlotte Lozier Institute have found that up to 70% of women who underwent abortions reported feeling high levels of pressure from others.
When a woman is told to "take care of it" for the sake of a career, a medal, or a partner’s convenience, that isn't empowerment…it's coercion.
The Mental Health Toll
“I collapse in tears. He asks me why I’m crying. I tell him I don’t know, that I’m just tired. He tells me I’m a world champion, that I should be happy. I stay silent, keep crying. I feel guilty for being sad, but I am inconsolable.”
Gabriella speaks candidly about her mental health struggles and the "breakdown" she experienced. While she may not always explicitly link her abortion to her subsequent depression, the data makes it impossible for us not to ask the question.
The largest major synthesis of data ever published (in the British Journal of Psychiatry) found that women who have undergone an induced abortion face an 81% increased risk of mental health problems. Even more staggering, the study noted a 155% increased risk of suicide compared to women who carry their pregnancies to term.
When we see an athlete like Gabriella describing feelings of worthlessness and an "internal conviction to step away" from everything she worked for, we have to look at the whole picture. We cannot reasonably separate the health of a woman from the life of her child.
A Different Kind of Gold
The 2026 Winter Olympic season in Milano Cortina, has shown us that even the best-laid plans can fail. Lilah and Lewis tripped. The ‘perfect’ Papadakis/Cizeron partnership fractured under the weight of ‘unseen injuries’.
Human life is messy. It is rarely ‘perfect’. But its value doesn't come from a judge’s scorecard or our ability to perform through the pain. At CBRUK, we believe every life is a masterpiece from the moment of conception, regardless of the "drama" or the "scandal" that might surround its beginning.
As we continue to cheer for the athletes in Milan, let’s remember that the greatest victory isn't found on the podium. It’s found in the courage to protect the most vulnerable, ensuring that no woman ever feels she has to "take care of" her child just to keep her place on the ice, or anywhere else!