Twenty-year-old American figure skater, Alysa Liu, won the gold not once, but twice this past Winter Olympics. After retiring from burnout in 2022, this gold medalist teaches us so much about how to nail a comeback.
Early Life
Alysa Liu was born in Oakland, CA to single dad, Arthur Liu, who had children via surrogacy. She was put into intense figure skating training early on and by age seven was already competing at high levels, as a winner.
Being a child prodigy with an immense amount of talent can be challenging, especially when you feel pressures, not only from family members and friends, but society. It happens all the time in Hollywood. Lindsay Lohan falling into addiction after “Mean Girls,” Amanda Bynes uprooting her beautiful appearance after her Nickelodeon stardom and Lalaine from the popular show “Lizzie McGuire” getting arrested for drug use in 2007. It’s common. What we don’t realize is that this pressure is not only for actors and actresses, it spills over into all forms of talent. Child geniuses, singers and of course, athletic prodigies.
Burnout and Comeback
After years of intense struggle, loss and of course triumph, the talented figure skater called it quits. In 2022, 16-year-old Alysa Liu went into an early retirement. Instead of facing backlash, people supported Liu, as they knew a break was needed in order to restore good mental and physical health as she had documented her struggles with her psychological well-being in the past. Alysa Liu was gone and the figure skating world had a hole.
Just when we thought Alysa Liu was gone for good, in March of 2024 Alysa Liu announced her return to the sport. Liu claimed she missed the adrenaline rush that came with skating, but this time, to avoid fatigue, she was going to skate on her own terms.
Alysa Liu: “It” Girl
With the 2026 Winter Olympics, Liu skyrocketed to fame. People fawned over her beauty and talent, but most importantly her story and how she came back from retirement with a bang. Not only did she gain her spark back and have fun on the ice, but she won the gold. In addition, she is recognized as the world’s youngest two-time women’s figure skating national champion.
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