When it comes to winning gold,
this unconventional approach from
figure skating champion Alysa Liu is worth noting.
One month before the Olympics,
a 60 Minutes interviewer asked Alysa,
“Do you feel any kind of pressure to win gold?’”
Alysa’s response:
“No, actually I’m really excited
because my goal honestly is
just to give people an experience….”
I love this answer so much, and
it’s directly aligned with what I teach.
When we focus our Throughline on ourselves
(i.e. “Be the best, Be #1, Win the award”)
we often lose out.
But if we focus our Throughline
in service of others, it’s transformative.
It’s what Alysa did, and of course,
as the story goes,
she went on to win gold.
If you read or watch other interviews
with her from over the years,
you’ll see a similar theme
emerge again and again.
“I want to inspire people,”
Alysa said when she was just 13.
You can watch her extraordinary 2026 Olympic performance
on YouTube…and it’s worth taking in.
She skates with such joy, such fluidity–
lacking the tension and tightness
we so often see in high-stakes competitions.
It’s a lesson for us all:
find the joy in what we do,
and focus on creating an experience for others.
When we do this,
so much else takes care of itself.
And if you coach, guide or lead others
and want to bring out their best,
keep this approach in mind…
for you and for them.
Risk Forward & Skate On,
P.S. Yep – that’s me approx age 12, looking WAY too tense. As a competitive gymnast & figure skater, I wish Alysa had been my coach.
