When Alyssa Liu won a gold medal at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, it was more than just a win for her country. While that is a big deal, there was more to it than that. You see, this was a comeback for the 20-year-old. With her story, some of the biggest names have publicly shown their appreciation and affinity for her.
Even four-time NBA Champion Steph Curry.
Curry couldn’t help but stop and talk to the Oakland, Calif., native at Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards.
Curry stopped and talked to “Entertainment Tonight” and was asked about his favorite standout moment in sports this year.
Alysa Liu Gets The Approval From Steph Curry
“I mean, so many to choose from,” Curry said. Alysa Liu is representing Oakland and the Bay in the Olympics. Obviously, the Knicks in basketball. It’s a great accomplishment. Not just for the city of New York, but for basketball in general. So many cool stories in the room, so many to choose from.”
Mind you, this was after she said no “fans” had approached her at the event.
Oh, by the way, Liu took home “Breakthrough Athlete of the Year” at the ESPY’s.
GettyNow for the story …
Alysa Liu Makes a Comeback
Liu had hung up her skates, quitting after the Beijing Games. It was abrupt. So for the next couple of years, she was a teenager. She studied psychology at UCLA, got a frenulum piercing just above her teeth and really just stayed true to who she was.
When she returned, it was on her terms. The pressure of a young figure skater wouldn’t impact her anymore. She practiced the amount she wanted, and she made sure every aspect of her training, costume designs and programs came from her.
“Honestly, it was more than just work, it was experience,” Liu said. “The last time I was skating, it was so rough. I genuinely can’t begin to start on it. It took a lot to get to this point, and studying psychology has really helped. I love psychology.”
GettyShe was unapologetically herself, and you could see that in her performance. Liu showed up with striped blonde and brown hair and embraced who she was to the fullest. It caught the world’s attention too.
“I have no idea how I am going to deal with it. I’ll probably wear some wigs when I go outside,” Liu said when asked how she plans to handle her sudden fame. “I hope with all this attention I can raise awareness about mental health in sports and mental health more generally. I think my story is very cool. Hopefully, I can inspire some people.”
