You walk into class and sit at your desk. It’s a regular class day. Then, when the teacher tells the class to “turn and talk to your partner,” you turn and realize you are looking at someone who just competed at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

American Alysa Liu is a 16-year- old figure skater, who is a two-time U.S. national champion. 

“My goal here is to stay in the moment and enjoy everything,” Liu told the media covering the games. 

Alysa Liu became the national champion at the age of 13, now 16 she is making her Olympic debut at the Beijing Olympic Games in the Ladies Singles competition.

Less than a month ago, Liu was third place in her short program in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but sadly she was forced to remove herself from the competition by testing positive for Covid. By being forced to withdraw from the competition she ultimately jeopardized her chance of making it on the 2022 Olympic team. 

When she found out she made the team, she was obviously happy, “I was really nervous, and then I got the news that I made the team and I started crying with joy,” she said. “I was like, ‘I thought it was over’.” 

In some ways, being young might be a plus because the physical demands are easier than for an older skater. But being young can be a challenge emotionally. The Olympics, especially, is a highly competitive international situation with pressure from not just your coach, but also your country.  

Liu is not alone, however. A number of other figure skaters are teenagers, and other teens are participating in sports such as snowboarding and alpine skiing.

It shows the amount of persistence and talent that Alysa Liu holds, and she is a hard worker that has proven herself enough to be allowed on the Olympic team at such a young age.