The Imprint

Thank you, Alysa Liu, for waking me up!!!

While scrolling on TikTok on my lunch break, a couple of weeks ago, I came across a video of Alysa Liu joyfully skating to Stateside by PinkPatheress and Zara Larsson, and I was instantly captivated by her carefree energy. Video after video, I was in awe of her ability to skate like no one’s watching, even on one of the world’s biggest and most nerve-racking stages- The Olympics.

That evening, my sister and I watched some of her routines and were impressed by her talent, charm and self-assurance.

“It just looks like she’s having fun!” my sister commented, and I couldn’t help but agree. It was abundantly clear that she wasn’t just there to win medals but to compete simply because she enjoyed it, which in turn earned her the top spot on the podium.

After diving deeper into the 20-year-old’s journey, I saw that this historic win comes after severe burnout and a two-year retirement. From the young age of 13, Alysa’s been competing across the US and internationally, breaking records with her talent. As time went on, she started to enjoy skating less, entering a toxic relationship with the habits that come with such a strenuous sport. At 16, she announced her retirement, and decided it was time to enjoy being a teenager, spend time with friends and travel the world.

Whilst skiing with friends two years later, she stepped foot on the ice again, and felt inspired to return to skating again, but this time on her own terms.

In 2024, she re-entered the game with a completely new level of intentionality and self-love. Whether it’s her iconic halo hair that gains a new ring with every passing year or skating to songs she actually enjoys, it’s clear that she has returned with a deeper sense of control and ability to put strong boundaries in place.

“No one’s gonna starve or tell me what I can and can’t eat”

– Alysa Liu’s 60 Minutes interview

This makes her double gold win even more worthy, as it comes after prioritising herself mentally and physically, rather than giving into unhealthy perfectionism that’s more common at this level.

While taking a break can often be seen as soft-quitting or giving up, Alysa is a clear reminder of how honouring yourself and your needs is the bravest thing you can do.

Now, having earned gold medals for herself and the US after 24 years, she’s become a symbol of expression and joy, showing us that it’s possible to take a break, come back, and still succeed, all while having fun.

Which made me take a step back and rethink how I’ve been living my life. Often taking myself and everything a little bit too seriously, Alysa shows me that I, too, can have fun while I’m getting things done, and maybe if I can’t have fun with it, it needs to be rethought.

Taking things too seriously isn’t a new problem, though, especially in big cities where hustle culture thrives. Being told you’ll fall behind if you aren’t constantly in pursuit of a better body, job and cool opportunities can often make life feel like a rat race. This overwhelming feeling is only exacerbated by social media and the current state of the world.

But while having more fun sadly can’t fix these problems, it brightens our personal world, helping us cope.

So, when a joyful person like Alysa steps into the spotlight, it’s easy to feel inspired and bring some of that whimsical magic into our own lives.

Becoming a bit of a buzzword, whimsy usually refers to doing something silly or childlike, just for the fun of it. Often, its power can be undermined because of its feminine connotations, but I feel like being whimsical can be a cure to modern-day living.

Connecting us back to our childhood selves, it takes us to a time when we were probably our most optimistic and playful, allowing us to feel light-hearted, even if just for a few minutes. Which ties into why there are so many popular micro-trends around trinket-collecting and colouring- it’s become a way for people to put a bit of play back into their lives.

If you feel like you’ve been working away and being too hard on yourself or haven’t done something recently that makes you happy, this is your sign to inject a little bit of fun into your life!

Here are a few little ways you can:

• Add sprinkles to your morning coffee or matcha
• Stick googly eyes to random bits of furniture
• Take a different walking route and focus on seeking out a specific colour
• Customise your desktop with your monthly favs and a highlight
• Wear a pair of fun socks
• Talking to your plants as you water them
• Listen to your favourite movie soundtrack as you do your food shopping
• Light a candle while getting ready for work and make a wish as you blow it out

And so many more!

Thank you for reading, and I hope my next piece brings you back to The Imprint!