U.S. Army Pvt. Spencer Howe and partner Emily Chan compete in the pairs free skate at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 9, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. (Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating)

When he was 9, Army Pvt. Spencer Howe rummaged through his sister Roxette’s closet, hoping to find a pair of figure skates.

The Los Angeles native’s parents, Katherine and James, had signed him up for nearly every sport outside of figure skating, despite his pleading. To prove his commitment to them, Howe found an old pair that fit him, tied them up and ran down the stairs.

“At that point, my mom was like, ‘OK, fine, we can go get the skates dyed black and you can try it,’ ” Howe said.

Twenty years later, Howe and skating partner Emily Chan will be stepping on the rink at the Milano Ice Skating Arena for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, which run through Feb. 22.

The pair could take part in the free skate program that starts at 7:30 p.m. CET Sunday. The individual pairs competition runs Feb. 15-16.

Howe, 29, and Chan, 28, were selected after placing fourth at 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis in early January.

U.S. Figure Skating suggested they should join forces in April 2019. Since then, they have gone through major injuries together – Howe a surgery for a torn labrum in 2024 and Chan a concussion – as well as skipping four months of training ahead of the Olympic qualifying season due to Howe entering basic training Feb. 18, 2025.

“It has not always been easy for us, and to get to this point in our career and to accomplish getting on the Olympic team has been really, really rewarding for us,” Howe said.

U.S. Army Pvt. Spencer Howe lifts partner Emily Chan in the air during the pairs free skate at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 9, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. (Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating)

Rewarding also is how Howe described his journey into the Army World Class Athlete Program as its first figure skater.

While rehabbing in 2024 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Howe stayed across the hall from Jonah Koech, a track and field athlete who once was a WCAP member.

Their conversations lit a fire within him. Howe discussed the prospect of joining the Army with his coaches, choreographers and others, and following a 45-minute phone call with Chan, he signed on.

“I wear that with pride,” Howe said of being in the military. “I have absolutely no regrets. It’s taught me so many cool things that I went through, a lot of unique experiences that have made me stronger and who I am today.”

His figure skating background made him somewhat of a celebrity during basic and advanced individual training. Howe said many of his fellow recruits found his Wikipedia page that details his skating career.

Howe said he felt their support then, and it’s carried past their time at basic training.

“A lot of the people that I met along the way through training, we’ve stayed in touch and they’ve congratulated me,” Howe said. “It’s been really cool to see … because we all went through a lot of suckiness together.”

Joining the Army is helping him pursue another of his passions: becoming a chaplain.

He’s currently in school to receive certification to serve in that manner.

“It’s definitely a unique situation: I’m a soldier in the U.S. Army competing,” Howe said. “But in reality, I’m a person who’s trying to do God’s work and see how I can serve others.”

Before he can go that route, Howe and Chan have their first Olympic Games to experience.

Despite being rookies, Howe said he and Chan are one of the more seasoned pairs considering how long they’ve been together.

Howe said they have been sticking to their routine, and they are hoping that leads to big things in Milan.

“There’s probably going to be so many magical moments, and we really want to be able to showcase our skating on that big Olympic stage and do well for our country,” Howe said.

U.S. Army Pvt. Spencer Howe and partner Emily Chan skate during the pairs short program at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 7, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Howe and Chan will be competing at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan. (Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating)