Burnout is a problem many athletes face. They strive to reach the pinnacle of their sport, but when they do, they feel empty, as if there is nothing left for them to accomplish. Burnout is especially true for individual sports like figure skating. When U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu was 16 years old, she retired from her sport after competing in the 2020 Tokyo Winter Olympics. Liu was cited as the next “American Figure Skating Prodigy.” She was going to be the first woman to win gold in women’s singles figure skating since Sarah Hughes.
When interviewed by Sharyn Alfonsi from 60 Minutes, Liu stated that “It was a crucial time in my life. I was 16, and college was coming up. Like, 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. Yeah, I mean, I was really living it up.” Liu started skating when she was five years old, after her father showed her highlights of Olympic Figure Skater Michelle Kwan. Liu’s father spent around a million dollars to make sure that she would be the next big thing in women’s figure skating. Liu spent so much time figure skating that she felt like she never had the chance to do anything for herself.
In an interview with People’s magazine, Liu stated that “Living, just like doing a ton of other things, trying out every hobby in existence, traveling, and I don’t know, just talking to people. It made me realize what I like to do. And a lot of aspects in figure skating follow in line with my interests.” Liu went on a skiing trip in the start of 2024 and felt that the adrenaline rush that she got from it was a lot like Figure Skating. When Liu returned from her 2-year retirement, she brought a new mindset. She was no longer worried about the results and was more focused on skating as herself. This is evident in the songs she chooses for her routines, which are happier and more upbeat than the usual slow, dramatic songs many skaters skate to.
Liu’s mentality played a major role in her success at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Liu’s approach was to show us the real side of her. Liu was skating in a gold-themed outfit and her signature blonde-and-brown raccoon-streaked hair. Liu came in skating for fun and ended up breaking the 24-year-old gold-medal drought in women’s figure skating.
Liu is a great example of how having fun and focusing on yourself can lead to success and bring back the joy of competing at the highest level.
