Maxim Naumov texted his parents all night. Their flight never made it home.

Maxim Naumov was on the ice before he could so much as walk.

As a baby, he sat atop the experienced shoulders of his father, Vadim Naumov, flanked by his mother, Evgenia Shishkova.

Both were former world champion pairs figure skaters; two-time Olympians who had moved from Russia to the United States in the '90s.

The skaters passed on their talents to Maxim, and started coaching him from the age of five.

Every day, Vadim and Evgenia waxed poetic about the Olympics, and Maxim eagerly listened.

His parents had achieved their dream, and he was determined to follow suit.

As his age and talent rose in tandem, it seemed Maxim's goal was in reach.

But then, tragedy struck.

Watch: Olympic trivia with the Mamamia team. Post continues after video.

When the first text came through, on 29 January 2025, Maxim was playing video games with his roommate in Boston, fellow skater Spencer Howe. 

There had been a plane crash in Washington.

Maxim started to panic. His parents, who had been on their way home from a skating championship, had changed their flight at the last minute. Their new route was through Washington.

Checking his phone, the 23-year-old realised he hadn't heard from his mum and dad for hours.

By 2am, Maxim, his roommate, and two others from the Boston skating club piled into Spencer's car.

Throughout the eight-hour drive to Washington, Maxim desperately tried to reach his parents, texting them repeatedly to ask if they were OK.

But there was no answer.

He would soon learn the gut-wrenching reality; an Army helicopter had collided with a passenger plane over the Potomac River.

Vadim and Evgenia were two of 67 people killed in the crash. 28 of the deceased were part of the skating community.

As he struggled with his deep grief, Maxim stopped training. His Olympic dream forgotten.

"All I wanted to do was lay in my bed or lay on my couch and just rot, essentially," he told The New York Times.

Maxim's parents died in a plane crash in January 2025. Image: Instagram/@maximnaumov_

After the crash, his godparents moved in with the 24-year-old, handling his parents' paperwork.

Meanwhile, long-time family friends, skating coach Vladimir Petrenko and his wife Elena, put aside all their responsibilities to help Maxim train.

His roommate, Spencer, was also by his side.

"I have so much respect and so much love for my brother because, again, he could have gone the opposite way," Spencer told The New York Times.

"What's made me the proudest to see is that, through all this tragedy, he's looking for a silver lining instead of letting it tear him apart inside."

As he reacquainted himself with the ice, Maxim was inspired to take over his parents' skating development program for children ages four to seven.

"They were just incredible people and I don't want them to ever, ever be forgotten. I want to carry on their legacy," he told PEOPLE.

Describing them as "role models off and on the ice," Maxim's determination to make it to the Olympics comes down to their influence.

"They taught me values of resilience, hard work, dedication and never giving up."

So, he trained. With his nearest and dearest in his corner, his Olympic dream had been reignited.

Fast-forward to January 2026, a year after losing his parents, and Maxim was about to find out if he was headed for the Winter Games.

Maxim has dreamt of the Olympics since he could remember. Image: Instagram/@maximnaumov

Ahead of the qualifications, Maxim had just missed out on a bronze medal.

Knowing only the top three skaters would make the Olympic team, the national championships were his last hope.

During Maxim's routine, Spencer (who made the Olympic team) stood next to the rink, repeating the skater's parents' names for good luck.

"You're watching over him right now. I can feel your love. You've got to help him," he said, as per The New York Times.

Maxim is convinced his parents helped him get a bronze medal that night, earning him a place in the United States figure skating team.

His dream had been achieved; he was headed for the Olympics.

It was a moment that left him in tears. The 24-year-old knew he had made his parents proud, but he also knew what they'd be saying if they were still here: the job's not finished.

"The qualification to the Olympics is one thing, but, you know, you still have to go out there and compete at the biggest stage," he told PEOPLE.

The skater is determined to get a medal not only for himself, but to "honour" his parents and all they have achieved.

"They were world-class athletes that were the best of the best during their time. I mean, two-time Olympians, you know, it's the one per cent of the one per cent, and they deserved all the praise."

Every time he enters the ice, his parents' biggest lesson rings in his head: "Stay strong, fight until the end, and do your job."

Feature Image: Getty