What would you do if you’d had enough? Alysa Liu retired at 16. She’d had enough of figure skating.
Arthur Liu fled China after the Tiananmen Square protests, became a U.S. lawyer, married, and had four children. Alysa, born August 8, 2005, became the youngest American figure skating champion at 13.
Ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China reportedly offered Alysa’s father millions of dollars to have her compete for them. Alysa and her father refused. She represented the U.S., finished seventh, and retired—she was done.
Looking back, her dad chose her coaches and choreographers. Alysa pushed herself hard but began to feel isolated. Sometimes, she cried alone in the back rooms of ice rinks. As a friend said, “[Her] love for the sport…just wasn’t there anymore.”
After the Beijing Olympics, Alysa announced she was moving on. She began living like an ordinary teenager, from sleepovers to road trips, but also hiked to Everest base camp and enrolled at UCLA. On a ski trip, she rediscovered excitement and realized she missed competitive skating, so she decided to return.
This time, Alysa made her own choices—coach, choreographer, and team. At 18, she told her father he would no longer be involved with her skate team. With a new approach, Alysa skated for joy, socializing with friends and competitors, rather than focusing solely on winning.
During her final Olympic performance, Alysa stood out. She looked relaxed and happy, especially compared to other competitors under pressure. Her carefree attitude led to a beautiful skate and a gold medal. Even without winning, she would have enjoyed herself.
Alysa’s story teaches us all: You don’t need to win to feel excited. Sometimes, real joy is in the experience. Tom Landry, legendary Dallas Cowboys coach, competed every year despite tough losses—because he loved the process. Dean Smith at North Carolina coached for thirty years before his first title. Winning mattered, but his real joy came from the journey.
Inspired by Alysa’s approach, consider this: What if you enjoyed work and saw rewards as just icing on the cake?
What if you stopped worrying about beating someone else and just did your best? I think that attitude takes us farther. Some people can’t stand failing. That fear makes them tense and lose. More championships are probably lost by those who fear losing than by those who simply enjoy competing.
Alysa Liu said, “It’s not that I took it too seriously before. It’s that I’m not basing my worth off skating, because I have another part of me now.” Our worth isn’t about what we do. With the right perspective, we can enjoy life’s blessings. Maybe it’s time we all learn from Alysa Liu.
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
The WorkEdge Company
Telephone: 903-245-7851
Email: workedgetexas@gmail.com
Website: www.workedgetexas.com
Author of Holy Chaos. To purchase the book, click here:
For more reading see: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/world/olympics/olympics-alysa-liu-figure-skating.html?searchResultPosition=5 and https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/alysa-liu-figure-skating-comeback