Olympic Skater Alyssa Liu.
By Marty Camacho
The 2026 Winter Olympics have recently concluded. The games were held from Feb 6 to 22 in Italy, specifically in the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, hence the name given to this year’s games – Milano Cortina. Norway won with a total of 41 medals, with 18 golds, followed by Team USA, which got 33 medals, 12 of which are golds.
There were plenty of talking points delivered by this year’s iteration of the games. From our achievements, like the men’s hockey team’s first gold medal since 1980, to issues such as Eileen Gu’s, a decorated freestyle skier who previously played for Team USA, decision to play for China, or Russia’s ban on participating due to their invasion of Ukraine, the games gave people a lot of entertainment and things to talk about.
In the midst of all the discussions and eye-catching performances, one athlete stood out, and that is Alysa Liu.
Alysa is a figure skater who competes for Team USA and won 2 gold medals this year in the women’s single and the team event. The awards speak for themselves; Alysa’s skills are the real deal. However, what made her stand out was something beyond athleticism and skillful display of talent. On the world stage, Alysa skated fueled not by competition, but by passion, freedom, and joy.
Her interesting career paints a picture of how momentous her performance is. Alysa retired from figure skating when she was 16. The reason – trauma. Figure skaters are managed strictly. Their diets are watched, and they are given strict training regimens they must follow with discipline. The choreography that the athletes show in their performances is also often calculated and dictated by coaches. She felt the burnout from the harsh demands of the sport, and wanted to walk away.
Then, at 18, Alysa came back. Her condition for coming back? Simply more freedom. She demanded that she be allowed to eat whatever she wants, not be pushed beyond her limits, and have the freedom to add some of her own ideas to her choreography and music. And the result of it all? Now at 20, she won a gold in this year’s Grand Prix, two golds in the Winter Olympics, and had a strong impact on viewers all over the world.
Alysa did not fill the mold. Contrary to the elegant princess image associated with figure skaters, she appeared striking, with her bleached hair, frenulum piercing, and carefree smile. Alysa imbued self-confidence and joy, which made her performances eye-catching. Every moment and movement was not about competing with others, but enjoying herself fully at the moment.
Her gala performance was equally, if not more, magnificent. I am not a frequent watcher of figure skating, but I ended up watching her performance more than I thought I would, and the same probably holds true for many. After all, she is now everywhere online, with her own Instagram following jumping from a little over 200 thousand to over 2 million. And the music she used for her gala performance (PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson) is now trending, ranking number one in US charts.
Now, what significance does all this show?
Alysa is a clear example of the importance of being able to be yourself; being able to express yourself, being able to do what you want, and being able to confidently show who you are. Each one of us is unique, with our own talents and preferences, and we should be proud to show what we are and what we are made of.
As Alysa said in her interview with NBC’s affiliate TMJ4 news, “I’m just doing me.” Her history tells just how powerful that is, and it is a lesson that we should all remember. Do not be afraid – be yourself, and be that well.