Heart of a Lion Ice Stars

Previously on Ice Stars...

Your fancy dan stuff doesn't wear with me.

I've just been kicked out of the game.

Sometimes my blood gets pumping a bit too much, it's just passion.

We do get on, but then again, we are rivals.

When we're on the ice, we are not friends at all.

It's all about competition.

Coming up: Liam takes on his biggest challenge yet.

Hard, William. Hard, Liam. Good boy.

Push!

Disaster strikes for Aimie at the Icicles dress rehearsal.

So scared. I couldn't breathe properly.

And when Beccy heads to the British Championships...

Go.

..guess who's back.

When you spend half your life on the ice,

sometimes you just need to take a little time out.

I'm going to be you for a second now. Are you ready?

So, how was college today?

It was good.

-Is that what I look like?

-Yeah!

Smells good.

Ow!

Give this back. I'm just going to take a selfie.

And then you're, like...

You're like, oh, shoes are looking on good today. You're, like...

For our Ice Stars, even during downtime,

thoughts of winning are never far away.

The Icicles have their big international championship

in Salzburg in just a few weeks.

I really, really, really want to be in Switzerland, like, so badly.

We're faster, stronger, better this year.

We're as one, aren't we, this year?

I just want to have the same feeling as we did last year.

-Yeah.

-When we beat the French team.

-I want that feeling again.

-Yeah.

Last year, the girls beat their biggest rivals - France -

and came 14th at the World Championships.

And this year, they want to do even better.

Our main aim for Salzburg is probably to come top ten,

and to beat our main rivals -

Switzerland and France.

Everyone has to be at the top of their game,

because every point matters.

And when you need the points to get to the top,

there's one man the Icicles know will get them into shape.

Down on the knees, drive.

Top technical specialist, Chris Buchanan.

Strong holds.

With Chris, he sees everything.

It's like he's got more than two eyes.

You can't be sloppy at all.

Right, hard work ahead.

We're making you do more difficult things this time.

Because you need the points.

Bring it back.

Now, drive.

And bend again.

No, back.

It's a long way to go.

Yeah, but it's the best run-through they've done so far.

-I'm happy for you. I'm not happy with what they've done, though.

-OK.

You cannot drift.

The line must join up, we cannot have the break,

otherwise you're losing the grades.

Only a few points can make such a difference between first and last.

So they're really important.

It makes all the girls be on their toes.

After Chris's tough words,

the girls try even harder to perfect the routine.

Chris, at the moment, are they doing two twizzles?

It should be two twizzles.

And those twizzles might just be the way

to get them the extra points they'll need.

Slow down the rotation.

Centres, keep it tight.

Chris is just trying something new,

like, adding in some 360 turns.

You've worked hard. Well done.

Well done, girls.

In the dance studio,

figure skaters Kloe and Beccy are limbering up

for the toughest test of their season.

It's just days until the British Championships.

The British is always the biggest thing,

and it's a really big deal.

People come from all over Great Britain.

They kind of train for that their whole season.

Kloe competes one level higher than her team-mate,

and won Beccy's category two years ago.

What do you think this season is going to be like?

It's going to be hard.

-Everyone needs a challenge every now and then, so...

-Yeah.

I feel like, for you, it's just going to be, like,

one of those, like, best seasons.

I think you're in your best shape.

Two years ago at the British,

I didn't qualify and I didn't get into the top 24.

Kloe is always telling me that I'm capable of going and winning it,

so I hope she's right.

High arms, please. Beccy, high arms, please.

Beccy's working very hard.

She likes this sport.

Just relax.

Take off.

This is my last chance of winning the British in the Novice category.

Push, there, forward.

Turn to there, forward.

Yes. The double combination, very good.

Double axel, very good.

If Beccy's skating well, and she will do everything that she can...

..she can be on the podium.

Kloe knows all about topping the podium.

But everything's changed since her move up a level to Juniors.

People can be so much older than me.

There can be 19-year-olds in my category.

They'll probably have more experience,

or they've been skating for a longer time.

Kloe hasn't been doing as well as she could at competitions this year,

and it's really knocked her confidence.

I've never seen her come back from a competition so devastated.

I didn't skate very good.

I made really silly mistakes.

And she's been working hard to get back on track.

Yes.

I knew that I can do better.

So I have to change my thinking and forget about that,

and just concentrate on the British.

If she can land all the triple jumps in her routine,

it will be a real boost to her confidence.

A triple jump is when you jump up and turn three times in the air,

and then land.

Or fall!

Hopefully, land!

I don't need skater without triple in Junior categories.

Try one more time, please.

Come here, Klo.

Right leg.

A step not enough with the speed.

From here, you have to take off here, to there.

It's too much.

You need more energy to get up in the air,

you need to bend more, so it's a lot harder.

It's still not stable.

Because she's not landing that every day, she's not confident.

I would love to land my triple in the British,

but...we'll see what happens.

While Kloe hopes she'll look good on the ice, across town,

looking good off the ice is top of Liam's agenda.

It's his 16th birthday.

Turning 16 means he can finally get to play

for the Senior team of the Lions.

Senior hockey is a big jump from Junior, it can make or break people.

It shows whether they'll be able to make it as a professional or not.

He could've never got this far without the support of his family.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

Let's get all the cards in.

Thank you very much.

At 16, I have the chance of playing with the Lions,

so it's a big opportunity for me. I've been working hard,

I've been training with them for the past two seasons, maybe.

So it's finally the chance to play with them.

It's a big moment in my hockey career.

-# Happy birthday to you!

-#

Go on, cut it.

There's an important Lions game coming up.

Will Liam finally get to play for his team?

The Icicles have their sights set

on making it into the top ten in Salzburg.

And today, they have their first dress rehearsal

in front of family and friends.

This isn't tight enough, it needs to be tighter.

I think you should be using a permanent brush.

I want it above the lid on both sides.

And showcasing not one but two new outfits.

The dresses are really important, like, they're my favourite part.

Because they make us look really pretty, like princesses!

Go.

It's the first time the girls will perform their programme

in front of a crowd. Obviously, they'll be a bit nervous.

I'm not sure if they're ready.

The dresses are amazing, I love them so much.

I don't want to take it off.

Ready?

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC: Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now) By Bob Sinclar

It's a confident start, but only a minute in,

it looks like something's up with Aimie.

I struggle with my breathing because it's high intensity.

She and the girls fight to keep in sync.

Push!

They regain some control, but all of a sudden...

..Aimie's panicked.

Where's your inhaler?

She's got so out of breath, she's had to leave the ice.

I was so scared.

This is a week until competition. This can't happen at competition.

I was thinking, what does the team think of me?

Will I be OK?

Unable to continue, she can only watch on

as the run-through falls apart.

What are you doing...?

Look at me. Breathe.

You've got another programme to do, haven't you?

Aimie has asthma, and she struggles with her breathing regularly.

It gets worse when she skates and panics.

I was really worried when I saw Aimie, all of us were.

It's not a nice thing to see,

especially one of your good team-mates.

You just have to breathe slowly, sweetheart.

Through the nose, that's it.

Now, in, out.

You're letting things go too much, that was a half effort.

Aimie dropped out because she couldn't breathe...

There's just too many mistakes.

It's really hard for her dropping out,

just a couple of things went wrong,

but it's OK, because it's not her fault.

I was devastated because I wanted to be there for the team.

Aimie never lets her asthma get in the way,

and joins the girls for a quick change into costume number two.

It's a week until competition,

we don't want a good skater dropping out like that. We need her.

I still feel really shaky and it really hurts still,

but I've mainly calmed down now and I'm OK.

With that shaky rehearsal and Aimie's health in question,

it's not looking great for Salzburg.

On the other side of the rink...

it's Lions...

ROARING

..versus the Bulldogs.

BARKING

The Senior hockey team are taking on old rivals from Bradford.

And Liam's hoping he's about to join the pride.

Tonight could be the first time I play for the Lions.

This is my chance

to show them that I'm good enough to play at this level.

From Under-16s, through to Senior hockey,

it's a huge step.

And if he gets that chance to get out there,

then he's really got to step his game up.

'I'm a little bit nervous - you know, you're playing with adults,

'you're playing with grown men.

'Bradford are a physical team.'

Make sure that you're in the right frame of mind

from the minute you go outside the door tonight, OK?

Any passengers will be sat on the bench,

and I'll have to go with those that give me the energy,

the enthusiasm and the commitment.

All right, final preparations, boys, final preps, let's go.

As the game gets under way,

Liam has to start off on the bench.

You have to stand there and watch everyone take the onslaught.

From the side, it looked like a really tough, fast game.

It was going at high speed.

Go, go, go!

At the end of the period, neither team has scored.

We're panicking too much.

They're not going to just roll over and let you beat them.

It's 0-0 at the minute.

It's quite nerve-racking at the side,

but hopefully I'll get on soon.

Go, go, go, go, go!

Outside, outside, outside!

Coach Matt has seen enough.

Let's go - change him.

He's sending on Liam in number five.

When Matt called my name to go on the ice,

I was straightaway switched on and ready to go.

Hard, Liam. Hard, Liam...

I had a lot of eyes on me - you know, coaches, parents,

you know - expecting high results.

With playing Senior hockey, there's a lot more big guys running at you,

and trying to hit you a lot more, but...

WHISTLE

Ooh, Liam, that was close.

I didn't score, but at the end of the day

I defend and the forwards score.

HE SHOUTS ENCOURAGEMENT

The goals started to come,

and I'll say we took control of the game.

I didn't want to come off.

I just wanted to keep going and going and going,

just sort of soaking it all up and getting the experience.

Good job, Liam.

The Lions win by three goals.

And with his team's support,

Liam's proved he's grown from cub to big cat.

-Did you enjoy that?

-Yeah, it was fun.

-You did a really good job.

Keep training, keep working hard, and er...

your opportunities will probably arise again.

-Thanks very much.

-All right.

Now I've started playing Senior hockey,

it's the next step to

getting that dream of being a professional hockey player.

It's the morning of the British Figure Skating Championships

for Kloe and Beccy.

I'm just in my room relaxing.

Just packing all the things I need, like my dresses.

This is the current dress I'm using.

I'm still not making any predictions -

I feel like that's just putting pressure on myself.

We have...all the trophies that I've won.

That's quite a few, that's quite a lot.

I just hope that I don't make any silly mistakes,

and I show everyone what I can do.

Britain's Best female figure skaters will be battling here in Sheffield.

And Kloe's Junior category is up first.

She's got her mum here for support,

and is hoping for a good performance to rebuild her confidence.

I am really nervous, because it is a big deal.

I'm just going to try and focus on myself and nobody else.

I can't say I was going into the British expecting to win.

Some of the girls are really good, because they've done Juniors

for, like, so many years, and I haven't.

Listen - just...

Just confidence.

Nothing will happen. Understand?

Right, one more outside.

After the first one, you have to go.

Take off. Forward.

Up...

'I'm really, really hoping that

'I can land my triple jump, because

-'it would just make me proud!'

-SHE LAUGHS

From beginning to end, the programme has to be fast.

Come on. Strong...

-Strong.

-Strong. And skating nice. OK?

Come on.

MUSIC: Keeping Your Head Up by Birdy

I really managed to just concentrate on myself.

And I landed it.

It wasn't perfect, but it was a good jump.

And I knew that after that, I could just really enjoy my programme.

I was so happy, it was such a great feeling.

Are you pleased with that speed? Wow...

It was very good. Really, really good.

JUDGE READS OUT SCORES

This is a personal best.

I landed my triple, and I got a personal best score as well.

And Team Kloe are over the moon.

When I watched you...

you know, everything just clicked in after that.

The axel was absolutely lovely. Really amazing.

To be able to get a skate out like I did, it's a really good feeling

and now I feel like I can actually do better,

and maybe win next year.

Mum, where's the nail stuff?

In the hallway. Why?

Can you do my nails, please?

-Yes.

-Thanks.

Doctors tell people with asthma to do an hour a day of sport,

just like everyone else.

But when it's hard to breathe, it can still feel scary.

What does it feel like when you actually can't breathe?

It's hard to, like, explain.

It's like holding your breath...

-Yeah.

-..but trying to breathe at the same time.

When it's cold - like, an ice rink - and it gets to my chest a lot.

-A lot quicker.

-Yeah.

Maybe you should skate with a scarf.

No!

Aimie discovered she had asthma five years ago.

It scared me a little.

I was a bit worried, cos I didn't know what that meant

for my skating career.

I'm slightly nervous for Salzburg with my asthma,

because other teams are going to be there,

and I can't be seen as weak.

'We need to look, like, really strong.'

I don't want to let the girls down at Salzburg,

if it does happen halfway through the performance.

I can't just run off the ice. Like...

that can't happen.

So you just think you'd be able to carry on, and

-get through to the end?

-Definitely.

I definitely wouldn't stop skating because I was asthmatic.

Like, that would not stop me.

Right, you're done. You can pack it all away now.

Following Kloe's personal success at the British Championships

it's now Beccy's chance to shine in the Novice category.

It would mean a lot to do well.

Hopefully I'll land everything.

I hope she will be on the podium.

But you know, this ice, anything can happen.

And it turns out Beccy's not the only ice star hoping to win today.

It's her old team-mate and rival Alexia.

At the end of last season, she decided to leave Nottingham,

and start again at a new rink.

It's a bit like you've left almost part of your life.

I guess it's kind of

shutting one door positively and opening a new one into a new life.

Last time we saw the two girls go head-to-head,

it was Alexia who came out on top.

I'm eighth, and Beccy's tenth.

Beccy and I have always been skate rivals -

I know how she works, I know how strong she is.

It is rivalry, really.

But it's always very, very close.

Today, Alexia has the bonus of competing on her home rink.

I've trained there so many times, and I know what I'm doing

and I know how it feels.

And I think I had an advantage.

Normally, I am a little bit higher on the technical score.

Alexia's normally higher on presentation than me, so

it goes either way.

We don't know.

JUDGE READS OUT SCORES

APPLAUSE

Alexia's great presentation has helped put her in second place.

But as more and more skaters take to the ice,

Alexia drops down to eighth position...

..before it's Beccy's turn to fight for the title.

I was very focused going into the free programme.

I just really wanted to skate well.

It all comes down to this one performance.

You're fighting for your skating, keep everything for them.

We're with you. Brave...

-Go on, Rebecca.

-Go!

Whoo! Go, Beccy!

MUSIC: Say You Do by Sigala feat. Imani Williams & DJ Fresh

I was afraid not to mess up the easy elements,

because I knew that I was only halfway through my programme

and it really wasn't over yet.

Beccy's programme looked almost faultless.

But has she done enough to beat Alexia and the rest of the pack?

She needs more than 83 points.

Amazing skating.

-Amazing skating.

-Really, really good.

It was super.

Listen...

-JUDGE:

-..85.21.

WHOOPING AND APPLAUSE

She's done it.

I can't believe I'm British champion.

I really did not expect that.

I'm in a state of shock.

It was really good to see Beccy do so well.

She did the best, and she won.

With Beccy, I didn't expect anything less.

'She's first. She's British champion.'

I'm very happy.

'Fantastic.'

Winning the British was

a reality check on

why you put so much hard work into something.

I maybe haven't got a place big enough for this trophy yet -

I am definitely going to make room for it.

There's no doubt about that.

Next time on Ice Stars:

The Icicles march into battle...

It was intense between us and the French.

How good does that look?

..Josh and Kloe get Christmassy...

..and Charlie needs to fight his way back onto the ice.

I've just done my worst ever race.