“Sometimes you need some distance from what you love to realize how much you love it” – Alysa Liu
If you have spent any time on social media or have been watching The Olympics recently, you have definitely heard of Alysa Liu and her figure skating comeback. After winning back to back U.S titles in 2020, she competed in the unusual 2022 winter olympics, announcing her retirement shortly after coming in sixth place. Almost as shockingly as her retirement, she told her coaches four years later that she wanted to get back on the ice, except this time on her own terms. She would have a say in her music, her choreography, her skills, her training plan, and control over what she ate. Although she hit the ice before the 2026 winter olympics, this is where her training and enthusiasm really showed off. Very quickly, the genuine joy of her performance hit social media and inspired many all across the world.
While her impact on figure skating is undoubtable, it also stretches way beyond just that. Many have said that she is representative of all the girls who fell out of love with their childhood sport and came back on their own terms in adulthood. Now, while for the average individual this does not mean winning a gold medal in the olympics, but rather putting emphasis that it is never too late to try again. It is beyond inspiring to watch adults, mainly women, try their sports again for the first time in years because of what they watched Liu do on the ice. This resonated with me for so many different reasons, causing me to look back into tennis memberships and even putting on my Irish dance shoes (stay tuned to learn more about this) for the first time in four years. Making my younger self proud is something that I always kept at the top of my priorities, and this is just another way to show up for you. If there is one thing I can encourage as the weather gets warmer outside, it is to pick up the soccer ball again, maybe swing a bat around, or do anything to take the control back and remind yourself to do what you were once in love with.