I caught some of their lives. Some of them are quite long, but they're actually really enjoyable!! They try to answer as many questions as they can, even the somewhat "unhinged" ones from the comments. Very refreshing, laid back, and honest content. Lots of laughter and banter. Fans keep telling them to please never do media training because their answers come off very natural and funny.
Some details I remember off the top of my head:
(1) Marina asked Emi to try ice dance at 14. She declined and Marina told her: "you're making a big mistake... you'll end up an ice dancer anyway." When they met years later at Nationals, Marina said "i told you so" and was very complimentary. Vadym never met Marina. Igor would always shield him from her lol.
(2) Emi's whole speech after making the Olympic team thanking the people who doubted her because it "felt so good to prove them wrong"... The person who told her she was "too ugly, too fat, will never succeed in ice dance" was standing right in front of her during that press conference. She said she's never felt so powerful.
(3) Vadym bought a mobile home for $2,000 in Novi and fixed it up. The asking price was 10k but Emi negotiated it down to 2k. This is where he and his mom live. She came from Ukraine in the spring of 2023. She speaks no English, and Vadym has been taking her to medical/dental appointments. She cleans their costumes, looks after their dog Chaplin (Chapa for short) when they're away, etc. They both love that dog so much. He's present in many of their lives.
(4) They've tried the golden waltz recently and Igor seems pleased. He told them not to worry. It's his second favorite pattern after Tango Romantica. Igor can be intense on the ice, but they generally talk about him with much affection. He calls Emi "Zaika", a Russian term of endearment. They said he's always been in a great mood lately. When asked if they'd consider skating with others, Vadym said he'd only ever consider doing it with Natalia Deller (their technical coach) in adult skating. Emi said she'll probably just retire if Vadym can't skate anymore.
(5) They're still in negotiation with Stars on Ice for possible guest appearances in certain shows. They're unable to commit to the entire tour because their schedule does not allow it. They have plans of doing choreo with Benoit, and also have a trip scheduled (with Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville, among other friends) to Marco Island. They seem very excited to finally get some R&R after a long season. They also have no agent, so they have to do all negotiations themselves.
(6) Their love story. There's soooo many fan questions about this. They always have a fun banter about who made the first move, etc. But the gist of it is: they liked each other from the moment they met. However, dating your partner was discouraged, so no one said a word for a full year. Vadym invited Emi to a cabin trip with friends on new year's eve one year. They talked for hours and they started going out on dates after that. They hung out together frequently, drinking boba (even if they both grew sick of it), etc, to find the excuse to spend time together. Vadym sent Emi 100 roses for her birthday even before they started dating. Some of their gifts to each other include: a leaf blower for Vadym (this is the only thing he's ever asked for), a sewing machine for Emi, plus jewelry (her R&J earrings and the promise ring from Costco). Vadym jokes that they've eloped to Lansing, MI recently but Emi keeps saying it's not true. There's also a hilarious segment of fans suggesting a Costco wedding, and Vadym was loving it! Chicken bake reception and all! When he stepped away, Emi told fans to please stop encouraging the Costco fantasy. She loves Costco too, but she wants to get married in Cyprus, not in Costco. It was hilarious! Jokes aside, they've said that they're still young and they want to be more financially independent before getting married. He wants 3 kids. She wants 4 or 5.
I think ZK fans are very lucky that they're sharing this much time and content. I echo the comments - hope they never get media training! LOL! They're charming, and they keep it real!
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U.S. 2026 OLYMPIANS Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik ..."
And Emi kept yelling at him to stop spreading misinformation 
