At the 2026 Winter Olympics, at just 20 years old, Alyssa Liu won gold in free skating, “on her own terms”.
Though Lui first competed in the 2022 Olympics at 16, her relationship with skating has since taken an arduous journey. Her life revolved around figure skating, yet she struggled mentally because everything in her life was controlled, even her meals. The sacrifices Liu made to be at the top of her sport were immense. As a result, in 2022, after the Beijing Winter Olympics, Lie retired and decided to start living her life like a normal teenager.
After a two-year-long hiatus, she contacted her coach because her desire to skate had grown once again. But she had one condition: she wanted to have control of her own life, while still doing what she loved. On Feb. 19, 2026, Alysa Liu’s performance at the Winter Olympics in Milan gained attention for its “carefree, joyous performance”. She won gold in the free skate for the U.S., this being the first time a U.S. competitor has brought home gold in this category since 2002. When Lui reflected on her performance, she said that she was focused on the joy, not the technicality.
“Messing up doesn’t take away from that,” Liu said in an interview with NBC, reflecting on her performance and mistakes.“It’s still a story… that’s [the] beaut[y].”
Liu’s story is a timely reflection on the importance of listening to and respecting yourself. Like so many student athletes, sports took over her life. Student-athletes are passionate about what they do and can achieve great success, but other times, it can become overwhelming and take a toll on their mental and physical health, putting them at higher risk for severe consequences of exhaustion, depression, injury, or burnout.
A survey in 2017 by the “The University of Kansas Medical Center” reported that “6–11% of athletes experience burnout”. However, the survey participants were only NCAA D1 athletes, which does not include the millions of athletes that don’t make it to the collegiate level because of the numerous negative side effects that come with playing in a competitive sport. If the number of athletes were measured on experiencing burn out before the collegiate level the rate of burn out would likely be higher.
Just as important as it is for athletes to push themselves, it’s also important for athletes to respect their bodies and minds, to not only pursue their passion but to keep their passion, just like Liu, on their own terms.
“Remember that YOU decide for yourself what success is,” said Lui in an interview with “The Today Show”, “and it should reflect YOUR values—not what you see on the red carpet or glossy magazine covers or even on social media.
