Skating free

One of the big stories of the 2026 Winter Olympics is gold medalist Alysa Liu.

She stepped away from figure skating in 2022 to focus on her mental health — and was drawn back to it in 2024 with new love and fresh perspective.

She returned with less expectation, less pressure, and a lighter tension.

And it allowed her to skate freely — to perform with joy, to compete with freedom.

An athlete performing at the highest levels with peace and equanimity.

So many athletes struggle to find calm when they’re under pressure.

Alysa brought calm with her — and she left with gold.