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Alysa Liu is showing athletes everywhere that greater success lies in prioritizing happiness.

As a follower of women’s figure skating for years—and as a figure skater myself—I will never forget the day in 2019, in Detroit, when 11-year-old me got to watch 13-year-old Alysa Liu land two triple axels and become the youngest winner of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in history.

My friends and I, giddy and in awe, quickly got to discussing our game plan. We had two years to catch up, and we were only just beginning to work on our double jumps.

She was a role model to me then, and in a much greater, more impactful way, she is a role model to me now.

Liu, now 20 and a recent Olympic gold medalist, has essentially become the face of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. With her halo-dyed hair and smiley piercing, she expresses her style while competing in a way that many Olympians—especially in sports like figure skating, where appearance has traditionally played into scores—are afraid to.

The message of originality alone is incredible for Liu to be promoting; individuality and diversity are all too rare in figure skating. Yet she goes above and beyond as a role model, also promoting the idea of enjoying your sport.

This probably sounds like the opposite of controversial, but it still resonates with so many athletes, as long hours of training drain the life out of them, and they forget why they are doing what they’re doing.

Liu famously retired at the age of 16, following the 2022 Beijing Olympics, stating she had accomplished her goals and was ready to move on. She no longer found joy in the sport, having dedicated so much of her time to it since childhood (WCNC). Everyone was shocked, myself included. How could one get to such a high level, be a two-time national champion, and then quit?

Now, though, Liu has proved to everyone the validity of her choice. 18 months later, she missed the sport and returned to the ice in December of 2023 (CNBC Make It). She is a much stronger skater now, physically and mentally, and genuinely enjoys skating.

Liu is spreading the deeply important message that every athlete needs to hear.

Success does not come from burnout. Success does not come from overtraining. Success comes from a passion for the sport, remaining happy, and knowing when to take a break. 

Figure skating, specifically, is an endlessly demanding sport. It takes daily training, on and off the ice, to be consistent enough to thrive at competitions. It is physically and mentally demanding; all sports are.

Liu is proof that we are gradually leaving the era of pushing past our limits. Crying for weeks over a sport isn’t normal. Dreading every single practice isn’t normal. When the bad starts to heavily outweigh the good, it might be time for a break.

While 13-year-old Alysa Liu taught 11-year-old me a significant lesson about hard work and determination, motivating me to keep pushing myself in the sport I’ve been doing since I can remember, 20-year-old Alysa has taught 18-year-old me a greater lesson, one that every figure skater, every athlete, and every person should hear: success comes from prioritizing joy.