With every leap she takes, the eyes of the crowd are mesmerized. Every turn she makes, the ice bleeds into her blades. With each turn and jump she made through the air, it was more evident that she was deserving of her spot at the top.
Alysa Liu, a figure skater from Oakland, California, competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Liu had the world’s eyes on her as she took home two gold medals for the United States (U.S.) at the age of 20.
This year, the Olympics were rewarded with sportsmanship, girlhood, and celebration. This was heightened by the historic win for the U.S., which ended a 20-year win drought.
As a Californian native, she spent her life skating. As she grew, her skills did too. This was evident through her accomplishments. At just 13, she became one of the youngest skaters to win the U.S. women’s championship.
In 2022, she competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, finishing sixth in the women’s singles event. After such intense attention at such a young age, she later announced her retirement from figure skating following the Beijing Olympics.
“I started skating when I was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice, and it’s been an insane 11 years,” Liu said in the video, regarding her career. “I lost a lot of my motivation. I was barely going to the rink, not doing off-ice [workouts].”
After a lifetime of dedication to a sport and craft, this was the end of Liu and her powerful blades. Facing burnout and losing her passion for the activity, she wanted a normal adolescence.
What made her comeback so memorable to me was her uniqueness on the ice. The momentum that she was creating with every spin made me reconsider what growth and passion could look like.
During her performances, Liu offered a carefree attitude. From having fun at the Olympics to playing iconic music during her final performance, Liu’s carefree attitude was quintessential for her inspiration to many.
She stood out and brought her own sense of self to the sport. Liu was not trapped by the daunting thoughts of taking home a win or taking home a medal; instead, she served as a reminder that it is okay to step back and continue on your own terms.
College students can learn from her perspective. College can feel daunting, and sometimes it can feel like there is no clear road to success. On campuses where productivity is always on the go, Liu’s decision to step away and return to her term rewrites how success can look.
Liu serves as a reminder that it is okay to take a break from your vision. In fact, Liu has started a trend among various sports communities dubbed the “Alysa Liu effect.”
Inspiring athletes, who once dedicated themselves to their sports, to return- the trend has inspired people such as Emily Schaefer. Schaefer, who had to take a break from archery due to college, recently returned to their sport and says Liu played a part.
“Alysa Liu’s relationship with skating immediately reminded me of my own experience with archery. She described it as feeling more like an obligation than a passion at times, and that really resonated with me,” Schaefer said in reference to relating to Liu. “Watching her excel at the 2026 Olympics was incredibly inspiring. You could tell she was competing out of a genuine love for the sport above all else.”
@eclaire_21 So inspired to return to my childhood sport and make it fun again. #alysaliu #promise #womeninsport #olympics #archery
Her presence on the ice serves as a personal reminder to me that it is important to stand firm on my own identity. Liu won the gold because of her genuine passion, aura, and charming charisma.
To me, she is a symbol of individuality, not assimilating to others and pursuing goals under my own terms.
