01/08/2026
Alysa Liu is the kind of woman we should all be paying attention to.
She was at the top of her sport in figure skating at 14. National titles. Global attention. Olympic trajectory. And then she walked away. No apology. No explanation tour. She chose to live a teenage life, fully and deliberately.
At 18, she put her skates back on, not to chase medals, but because she missed the feeling. The internal rush. The joy. On her own, without counsel, she decided she wanted to compete again. She went to the two coaches she wanted and set the terms. She would choose the music. She would shape the training. She would determine the routine. They would collaborate. She would not be directed the way she had been as a child. Eventually, they said yes.
Then she went to her father, who had his children through surrogacy, and told him he would not be involved this time. And then she trained.
In the upcoming 60 Minutes piece, you hear her repeat the same phrase while she skates. “Just one more time.” Over and over. Not because someone is pushing her, but because she is driven from within.
She went on to win the World Championship and secure her place at the Olympics. A comeback that, by most standards, should not exist.
When asked about the pressure of being the favorite going into the 2026 Olympics, she said, “I don’t feel any pressure at all. I just want to make people feel something. Good or bad.”
I think she means it.
She also made something else clear. No one would tell her what to eat. No one would comment on her weight. She has an athletic, powerful, beautiful body and she owns it. And she smiles. A lot.
My takeaways.
She is motivated from the inside. She knows how to find her own ignition.
She loves the audience. But she does not need them.
She does the work. Just one more time.
She built her own circle of collaboration, chose the right team, and set clear boundaries. They are proud of their work and visibly in awe of hers.
This is not the only thing in her life. I have never heard her say she wants to be number one in the world. Or even that she wants to win.
She charts her own course, not impulsively, but through experimentation and growing commitment. When told that what she was attempting might not be possible, she simply did not care.
Let this be the woman of the future.
Best of luck to her in February.
Watch her skating. Watch the interview. You will learn more than any workshop can teach you.
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