Minister’s Column: “Alysa Liu”
I enjoyed watching the winter Olympics the past two weeks. This year I watched more curling than I ever have in my life, understanding the rules and strategy for the first time. But it was the figure skating that really grabbed me—especially the moving story of Alysa Liu.
USA figure skater Alysa Liu was the youngest ever national champion in 2019, when she was just 13 years old. Three years later, however, shortly after the 2022 Olympics, she announced her retirement from skating. She decided that she had had enough of the pressure and the grind of international competition—in a sport where you train endless hours year-round for a competition that lasts a few minutes. She wanted to live her own life, to have friends and do normal things. And then, a few years later, she returned to skating—but this time it was on her own terms. As her coach said, the younger version of Alysa did what everyone else said to do (and was very good at it), while the post-retirement Alysa did things her way.
Watching her compete last week at the Milan Olympics, 20 year-old Alysa Liu had a totally different energy than the other skaters. She was loose, free, and joyful. She said that she was just happy to be there, intending to enjoy the experience, and didn’t care whether or not she won a medal. This non-stressed attitude is totally different from the other competitors—for most of whom you can see the tension in their face. Because of her joyful approach, Alysa skated extremely well and won the gold medal.
Watching this from home, I thought, This woman has found the key to life. She skated her best (which turned out to be the best in the world) because she was relaxed. She had nothing to prove to herself; she did not need the approval of judges, parents, coaches, or anyone else. She re-discovered her joy in skating after quitting for a few years, and managed to keep it in the right size in her life. Ironically, not caring about winning allowed her to win.
I think we all can learn from this example: may we be at peace with our abilities and our tasks; may we do what we love to do and are good at doing. And may we do the best we can, for the joy of doing it.
Rev. Drew Frantz
February 24, 2026
Tao te Ching, verse 24 (trans. Stephen Mitchell):
He who stands on tiptoe
doesn’t stand firm.
He who rushes ahead
doesn’t go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own light.
He who defines himself
can’t know who he really is.
He who has power over others
can’t empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will create nothing that endures.
If you want to accord with the Tao,
just do your job, then let go.
I enjoyed watching the winter Olympics the past two weeks. This year I watched more curling than I ever have in my life, understanding the rules and strategy for the first time. But it was the figure skating that really grabbed me—especially the moving story of Alysa Liu.
USA figure skater Alysa Liu was the youngest ever national champion in 2019, when she was just 13 years old. Three years later, however, shortly after the 2022 Olympics, she announced her retirement from skating. She decided that she had had enough of the pressure and the grind of international competition—in a sport where you train endless hours year-round for a competition that lasts a few minutes. She wanted to live her own life, to have friends and do normal things. And then, a few years later, she returned to skating—but this time it was on her own terms. As her coach said, the younger version of Alysa did what everyone else said to do (and was very good at it), while the post-retirement Alysa did things her way.
Watching her compete last week at the Milan Olympics, 20 year-old Alysa Liu had a totally different energy than the other skaters. She was loose, free, and joyful. She said that she was just happy to be there, intending to enjoy the experience, and didn’t care whether or not she won a medal. This non-stressed attitude is totally different from the other competitors—for most of whom you can see the tension in their face. Because of her joyful approach, Alysa skated extremely well and won the gold medal.
Watching this from home, I thought, This woman has found the key to life. She skated her best (which turned out to be the best in the world) because she was relaxed. She had nothing to prove to herself; she did not need the approval of judges, parents, coaches, or anyone else. She re-discovered her joy in skating after quitting for a few years, and managed to keep it in the right size in her life. Ironically, not caring about winning allowed her to win.
I think we all can learn from this example: may we be at peace with our abilities and our tasks; may we do what we love to do and are good at doing. And may we do the best we can, for the joy of doing it.
Rev. Drew Frantz
February 24, 2026
Tao te Ching, verse 24 (trans. Stephen Mitchell):
He who stands on tiptoe
doesn’t stand firm.
He who rushes ahead
doesn’t go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own light.
He who defines himself
can’t know who he really is.
He who has power over others
can’t empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will create nothing that endures.
If you want to accord with the Tao,
just do your job, then let go.
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