This winter, Alysa Liu was the name on everyone's lips.
The skating star, who hails from Oakland, wowed audiences around the world when she won the individual gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. She also won the group gold with Team USA. The then-20-year-old captured attention with her confidence in her individuality, including a striped hairstyle and a "smiley" piercing.
She is now taking a break and is not competing in the 2026-27 season, but promises "I have a plan" in her cover story for LIFE Magazine that was published online Thursday, Nov. 12. The publication will return to print on Nov. 23, which is 90 years after its first issue. The comeback arrives after a nearly 20-year hiatus. Liu is the first of five cover stars that will be
featured on the first edition of the re-upped quarterly magazine.
The story, written by Bonnie Tsui, is accompanied by striking photographs by Spike Jonze of Liu skating in a flowing red outfit in a darkened rink. The feature reflects on Liu's previous time stepping away from the sport during the COVID pandemic. She realized that she wasn't skating for herself, but to please others.
"When I was younger, I wanted to win all the time," she said. "But winning was really about getting reassurance from my coach and my dad, and just making them happy, making them think I was, like, perfect or something."
In the piece, Liu shows the many sides of her life after fame. She trains at the Yerba Buena Ice Skating & Bowling Center in San Francisco, carefully crafting her next routines with her coaches Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. She has a lunch full of laughs at A16, a pizzeria in Oakland, with her closest friends.
Liu explained how her perspective in being open with the world has changed since rising to superstardom. She's not only become a sports icon, but has become a well-known name is fashion, attending the Met Gala and Paris Fashion Week.
"I don’t really like hiding stuff about myself," she said. "But now, I low-key have to, to protect my peace."
She pondered how taking ownership of her sport allowed her to travel with her siblings and makes her excited to support her United States teammates from the stands, emphasizing how she values camaraderie.
Liu said at the peak of her unhappiness she "would cry all the time – like, every session – and not in a good way."
But she has no regrets.
"If I went back in time, I would still want myself to go through everything, just so I could come to my own conclusion," she said. "Now, I don’t look to other people to find my happiness anymore. That has changed the definition of winning for me."
Fans can pre-order their copy of LIFE Magazine featuring Liu online or purchase a magazine at select retailers on Nov. 23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alysa Liu speaks on new winning mentality in Life magazine cover story
