Alysa Liu, a Gold medalist at the 2026 Olympics, had a rather unconventional journey to the gold. Liu left the sport of figure skating in 2022 but later came back stronger than ever and won two gold medals. She has gained notoriety for championing the idea of a work-life balance within professional sports and prioritizing mental health above all else. 

Liu has been a growing figure among young athletes and has also gained popularity within pop culture communities as well. She was recently in Laufey’s recent Madwoman music video.

Director of Columbia Ice Rink in Columbia, Maryland Christine Wilsongrinton said Liu’s commitment to work-life balance in the sport is commendable. 

“I really applaud her shift in mentality to focus only on skating and less on the competition which I was unable to fully master within my own life. I find it very inspirational and something we should thrive to accomplish with our athletes,” Wilsongrinton said.

Wilsongrinton said Liu leaving and coming back stronger comes in stark contrast to the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality that often plagues young skaters. 

“I just find Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu’s stories very inspirational and very important for our young skaters! I hope these stories make society as a whole we need to concentrate more on the mental health of our athletes,” Wilsongrinton said. 

Wilsogrinton explainined the importance of stories like Liu’s becoming part of the mainstream narrative surrounding sports. 

Liu has advocated for the idea that sometimes the best thing athletes can do for themselves and their passions is to take a step back from them. Growing up in the limelight, she said she knows firsthand the importance of taking breaks.  

“Take those breaks. You need them. And don’t let anyone push you past your breaking point. You are the only one that knows your limit. And you know yourself,” Liu said in an interview with the American Association of University Professors.

Liu has also inspired many young people to pick up old hobbies that had long been abandoned due to burnout and a variety of factors, deciding to return to their passions for the fun of the game alone and saying goodbye to self-assigned perfectionism. 

Miguel Maldonado-Briones ‘26, a biohealth major  and a musician, related Liu’s story to his own experience of slowly falling out of love with his passion due to intense pressure.

“She reflected my journey in setting boundaries between my passion and her personal life. I really admire her vulnerability. I think if I had taken a break from music and come back from it I could have become a music professional or another music related perfusion,” Maldonado-Briones said.

For many young people, this mentality is a refreshing change of pace from society’s current mentality around competing and progressing in any way shape or form.

“[Liu] taught me it’s ok to speak out and set boundaries. Because of that, she’s a baddie and a superstar!” Maldonado-Briones said.  

While the media within the 1990s was successful in pitting figure skating figures Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding against each other, Liu became known for embracing her competitors and treating them as sisters rather than enemies.