In the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, 20-year-old Alysa Liu won gold in women’s singles figure skating. However, what made her victory stand out amongst the rest was something few and far between in athletes during high-stakes moments. Yes, her performance was impeccable, featuring flawless, highly advanced technical elements, but it was Alysa’s joyful attitude that floated her over the competition; it was almost as if an Olympic gold medal wasn’t on the line, which made her performance truly golden.
She skated loosely, naturally and with visible happiness. Her performance clearly showcased to spectators her passion for her sport, an exhilaration that did not crack even under the immense pressure of the Olympics.
However, Alysa’s resiliently positive attitude was not built in one day, but rather forged over the course of a complicated career. Her backstory might sound like that of many other prodigies; she started skating at just five years old, and by age seven, she was competing internationally. By the time she was 16, Alysa was competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. However, in a sudden turn of events, after taking 6th in the Beijing Olympics and bronze at the World Championships, Alysa abruptly announced her retirement.
She recently spoke out about her retirement, stating that, “It was a crucial time in my life, I was 16 and college was coming up. I wanted to do so much. I went to Nepal, and I trekked to Everest Base Camp. Me and my friends would do tons of road trips. I was really just livin’ it up.”
Liu came back stronger than ever, with the self-confidence and maturity needed to take charge of her own training. She explained that, “I get to pick my own programme music. I get to help with the creative process of the programme. If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down. If I feel like I’m not skating enough, I’ll ramp it up. No one’s going to starve me or tell me what I can or can’t eat.”
Liu’s story is a testament to the power of finding one’s own voice. Creating her own path in her professional sports career shifted her mindset, which turned out to be an integral part of her success.
Liu stated, “I don’t think anything is gonna be hard. You know, it’s like, what is there to lose? So every second you’re there, you’re gaining something. I can’t think of anything that I would find stressful or anything that would, could bring me down.”
In another interview, she reflected, “Winning isn’t all that, and neither is losing. It’s just something that happens. It’s the outcome. But what matters is the input and the journey. And I would say take a break. I take breaks even now, and I think that’s the way to do it.”
A perfect example of a growth mindset, Liu proved that joy is her trump card, and loving the sport and the struggle of the journey paves the road to success.
