Redefining momentum
She won Olympic gold but that's not what's sticking with me...
We’re taught that stepping away is the same as falling behind.
When you picture success, does it look exhausting? Like something earned only through struggle?
Alysa Liu chose something different.
“Taking a step away from the sport allowed me to understand myself, because I’d never had the time before, the space to figure out who I was. Taking a step away allowed me to see the full picture.”
The 20-year-old Olympic gold medalist left people stunned both on and off the rink.
Alysa Liu was a child figure skating prodigy. She was the youngest US champion at 13 years old. Over the next few years, she realized she was burned out. Her days were structured around skating. Coaches dictated what she wore, what music she used, how she trained.
At 16, she announced on Instagram that she was retiring. It shocked people. A child prodigy does not retire at age 16, that’s when you’re supposed to work even harder.
During her retirement, she went on her first vacation. She went to the mall with friends, got her driver’s license, learned how to ski and snowboard, and spent time with family and friends.
She lived.
Then, at 19, she chose to come back to the sport on her own terms.
And because returning to the sport was her own conscious decision, she thrived.
She brought a kind of joy, lightness, and presence to the rink never seen before. She didn’t go on any kind of diet. She didn’t skate every day. She chose her own music, her own outfits, and her own choreography.
And she won Olympic gold.
But the medal isn’t what’s sticking with me.
It’s that she stepped away when everyone expected her to keep going. That she let herself be a teenager. And that she came back only when it felt like hers again.
Somewhere along the way, most of us started believing that momentum is all that matters. That pausing means you’re falling behind. That anything but forward movement is a risk.
But maybe breaking beyond doesn’t always mean pushing harder.
Maybe sometimes it means stepping away. Finding ways to feel like your fullest, most aligned self again. And returning, if it feels right, with your own rhythm.
It’s stories like Alysa’s that stay with me.
Stories that expand what feels possible.
Anyone who watched her skate could feel it. Not just the skill, but the ease. The joy. The presence.
That kind of transformation doesn’t just happen at an Olympic level. It happens in people’s lives every day.
And that’s what I want to explore.
I’m excited to introduce Breaking Beyond: What Grew. This is a series where I’ll share conversations with people who have made unconventional choices, stepped away from what no longer fit, and discovered what grew in its place.
If you or someone you know has a story you’d be open to sharing, I would love to connect. You can fill out this form, and I’ll reach out to set up a time to chat.
The March edition of Breaking Beyond: Unplugged is underway! I can’t wait to send out the mail next month. If you haven’t already, sign up by March 13th to receive the next letter.