Amber Glenn has been leaning on a fellow Olympian ahead of her Dancing With the Stars season 35 debut.
“I’ve been talking to Ilona Maher. She’s hilarious. Love her to death. She had nothing but positive things to say,” Glenn, 26, exclusively told Us on Wednesday, September 2, referring to the season 33 runner-up.
She continued, “Now she’s training for LA [Olympics] 28. Just getting to hear about her experience really made me look at this and be even more excited.”
Glenn will be making her way to the ballroom floor on DWTS season 35 alongside partner Pasha Pashkov, where the pair will be vying for the Len Goodman mirrorball trophy. As she heads into the season, Glenn reflected on whether the Olympics or DWTS is more nerve-wracking.
“I think they’re definitely nerve-wracking in different ways,” she explained. “I mean, obviously, [the] Olympics is like, I get to perform three times and that was after 20 years of training. Versus I’m going to be performing every week [on DWTS]. So definitely different but I’m obviously extremely nervous.”
Glenn, however, shared that Pashkov, 40, is helping with her emotions “a lot.”
“Am I nervous? Am I excited? It’s a little bit of both,” she said, while sharing that she feels like a four out of 10 on the nervous scale. “Of course I’m nervous but I’m just excited. Like, I can’t wait. I want to do it now.”
From the figure skater’s perspective, any movement that is with a partner scares her.
“Which is everything, in ballroom,” Glenn quipped. “I have my little solo moments. But, getting used to having someone out there with me, is definitely an adjustment. But luckily I have the best teacher so it’s going really well.”
When taking the floor later this month, Glenn is set to compete against the likes of The Rookie’s Jenna Dewan, Glee alum Harry Shum Jr, Paralympian Ezra Frech and more.
“Have you seen this cast? Stacked,” Pashkov told Us. “I feel like everyone has something in them that can get them all the way. We always say our biggest competition is ourselves because that’s the only thing we are in control of. But yeah, this year the cast is incredible.”
Dancing With the Stars season 35 kicks off with a two-night premiere on ABC and Disney+ Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
