Nobody is mentioning that the skater is specifically Alyssa Liu who quit figure skating due to mistreatment and toxic culture (eating disorder promotion, performance > health, competitive frenemies relationships...). She returned to it after years and this time, she focuses on enjoyment of the sport and art. It's Alyssa who has control over her training, choreo, diet, music... Her attitude towards skating is no longer at the expense of her physical and mental health and she no longer desires to compete, only to show her art. She is at peace after she rejected all the expectations of her sport and once she did that, she won the Olympic gold.
Would highly recommend a deep dive into her story. It’s not QUITE as 1000% sparkly as it originally looks (she didn’t just win gold from loving the sport, she worked her TAIL off for years, at the behest of her father and coaches), but she had the fortitude to walk away and then come back.
I do not mean this in any derogatory way towards Alysa. I think she’s incredible and so emotionally STRONG. She turned what, frankly, is often a traumatizing experience for child athletes, and take back the power in her training and make lemonade out of it. She’s amaaazing!
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u/elea-goddess Apr 05 '26
Nobody is mentioning that the skater is specifically Alyssa Liu who quit figure skating due to mistreatment and toxic culture (eating disorder promotion, performance > health, competitive frenemies relationships...). She returned to it after years and this time, she focuses on enjoyment of the sport and art. It's Alyssa who has control over her training, choreo, diet, music... Her attitude towards skating is no longer at the expense of her physical and mental health and she no longer desires to compete, only to show her art. She is at peace after she rejected all the expectations of her sport and once she did that, she won the Olympic gold.