The Sacrifice Behind Alysa Liu’s Rise: 6 People, 1 Bedroom & Relentless Sabotage

From a crowded immigrant family living in a small apartment in the United States, a young girl named Elisa Liu rose to become an Olympic figure skating champion, writing a story that is both extraordinary and deeply inspiring. Behind that glory lies a 15-year journey of relentless training, the quiet sacrifices of her father, attorney Arthur Liu, Liu Jun, and challenges few could have imagined. From working tirelessly to afford the high cost of training, to the years when his daughter practiced seven days a week, to unexpected shocks such as her early retirement and even alleged surveillance by Chinese agents ahead of the Beijing Olympics, each chapter shaped a truly remarkable journey. In the end, how did this father and daughter overcome it all? Let's explore their story in today's program. A Challenging Journey of Raising a Child In an interview with Secret China, Liu Jun, Arthur Liu, shared that when he first came to the United States 36 years ago, he was also a new immigrant, starting from nothing. Raising Elisa Liu Meixian was far from easy, especially because figure skating is an extremely expensive sport. Fifteen years ago, many coaches were already charging more than $100 per hour. When he discovered Meixian's natural talent for the sport, he spared neither money nor time to nurture her abilities. Although his income as a lawyer was relatively stable, paying for such costly training was still very difficult. He and his five children lived together in a small apartment with only one bedroom and a living room. The children and their father slept on three bunk beds. Even today, Meixian sometimes reminisces about those days, times that were joyful but also quite difficult. When Elisa Liu was about eight or nine years old, she could already perform a two-and-a-half rotation jump. In figure skating, there are six types of jumps, single, double, triple, and the most difficult, the triple axel with three-and-a-half rotations. At just eight or nine years old, she was already landing a two-and-a-half rotation jump. By the age of ten, she competed in the U.S. Intermediate National Championship and won first place, becoming the youngest champion in the intermediate women's category. It was then that her father realized Elisa Liu truly possessed extraordinary talent. When she was around 11 or 12, he was rarely present at the rink because he had to work to support the family and his daughter's training. He would usually drop her off at the rink in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon. At noon, she would come to his office to eat lunch and study. One mother once told him, your daughter is incredible. She can learn a triple jump in just a week, and within a few weeks, she can land all the triple jumps. By the age of 11, Elisa was already performing triple jumps consistently. Her technical level had already reached that of the world's top adult female skaters. At age 12, Elisa Liu won the U.S. Junior Championship. That same year at the Asian Open in Thailand, she became the first female skater in history to successfully land a triple axel in competition, breaking a record. At 13, she became the youngest U.S. Women's National Champion, and by 14, she was already landing quadruple jumps. In terms of jump technique, she was truly a prodigy. To nurture his daughter's talent, Liu Jun spared neither money nor effort. He took her to Japan and Canada for training, and he brought her to study with nearly every renowned coach in the United States. Whenever she practiced, her movements were graceful and precise. At one point, she trained seven days a week. Her coach told Liu Jun that she needed to practice every day, from Monday to Saturday, at least three to four hours on the ice and at least one hour on weekends. The coach worried that if she took time off, she might lose the feel for her jumps. Those years were therefore extremely demanding. Not the result, but the journey. After one of her victories, Elisa Liu held up her gold medal and said, I don't need this. In truth, she never cared too much about rankings or medals. According to her father, Arthur Liu, what she values most is the process, what people often call the journey toward achieving a goal. When she steps onto the ice in competition, what she hopes for most is simply the chance to perform what she can do in front of the audience, allowing everyone to enjoy and appreciate the performance together. As long as she can deliver both of her programs, the short program and the free skate, well in front of the crowd, that alone is enough to satisfy her. Because she carries this mindset, she competes with remarkable ease. Without pressure, her jumps become higher, her movements more open and expressive, and her skating speed faster. She does not burden herself with expectations about rankings, and the results have proven it. After returning to competition, she trained for only about six or seven months before winning the world championship. Before that, she had not skated at all for two years. To come back after just a few months and immediately become world champion is almost unheard of and truly astonishing. People often say that even taking two days off training can make your body feel unfamiliar. Yet she stopped skating for two full years, and only months later she was already a world champion. And now she has become an Olympic champion. In fact, Alisa Liu's skating journey has been full of ups and downs. After the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she competed at the world championships. After narrowly missing the bronze medal, she went to Japan to perform in the Stars on Ice show. While in Japan, she announced on Instagram that she would retire, saying that her Olympic goal had already been accomplished. This decision came from many different factors. One was a change of coaches. Another reason, mentioned in a previous video, was harassment and pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. Before the Beijing Olympics, the CCP allegedly sent people to monitor Arthur Liu, gathering information about him. They even placed listening devices in his car, went to his home, and pretended to represent the U.S. Olympic Committee, asking him to send both his passport and Alisa Liu's passport. At the time, he had no idea what was happening. Later, he discovered that the person involved was an American hired by the CCP to operate in the United States. This individual frequently lingered near Arthur Liu's office and was seen several times by neighbors. When Alisa Liu was competing in Japan, the day after she returned to the United States, her father immediately took her away from the San Francisco Bay Area. Just as the two of them boarded a plane, the FBI called to inform him that the person had been heading toward his house. Looking back, the whole situation felt like something out of a movie. Afterward, he took Alisa Liu to another location so she could continue training. However, because she did not want to leave her home, her mood remained heavy during those months of practice. For that reason, she ultimately decided that after the World Championships, she would retire. Two years later, when Alisa returned to the ice, something remarkable happened. In her very first hour back, she landed a two-and-a-half rotation jump. In the second hour, she successfully landed a triple jump, almost as if she had never stopped skating at all. It was truly incredible. After that, she balanced university studies while continuing to train. For Arthur Liu, this brought him great joy. Teaching his daughter the American spirit. According to Secret China, when Alisa Liu was about 11 or 12 years old, Arthur Liu began sharing some of his personal experiences with her. Why he had to leave mainland China, the role he played in the 1989 democracy movement, and how he had helped organize student demonstrations calling for democracy and freedom. Before that, he had never spoken to her about these things, and only at that point did he start telling her the story. After hearing it, she found her father's experiences both dramatic and cool, and she felt proud of what he had done. In his view, freedom and democracy in the United States are simply normal parts of everyday life. The ability to criticize anyone is a basic human right that no one can take away. Because of that, he never needed to deliberately teach or instill concepts like democracy or freedom in her. A child growing up in the United States naturally grows up within a free environment. As a result, father and daughter came to share similar perspectives without the need for explicit instruction or persuasion. He recalls that in 2018, on her personal Instagram account, Alisa Liu shared several news articles about reports that the Chinese government had established detention camps in Xinjiang and deprived Uyghurs of their freedom. To him, this showed that she genuinely cared about human rights issues. By that time, Alisa Liu had already gained some recognition in the U.S. figure skating community, so he believes the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese authorities were aware of those posts. Because of this, he thinks the Chinese authorities may have taken notice of her quite early on. In his view, that could also be one of the reasons why, before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Chinese authorities mobilized various resources and even sent people to monitor him and gather information about him and his daughter. They may have worried that if the two of them went to Beijing, they might use the attention surrounding the Olympics to speak out about issues the Chinese government would prefer to avoid. Arthur Liu says his position has always been clear. If China were a democratic country that respected human rights and freedom, he would still feel a deep affection for the country. He still has many relatives in China and cares deeply about the Chinese people. Under those circumstances, if Alisa Liu were to represent China in international competitions or at the Olympics, he says he would have no objection. However, in his view, the reality today is that the Chinese authorities have done many things that are deeply troubling. A country of such size and influence still does not guarantee basic freedom of speech. Political prisoners still exist, and many dissenting voices are imprisoned for various reasons. For that reason, he insists that no amount of money could persuade him to betray his beliefs by allowing his daughter to represent the Chinese Communist Party at the Olympics. That has always been his firm position. He also added that if you were to ask Alisa Liu today whether she would want to represent the Chinese Communist Party at the Olympics, she would answer immediately, no way, no way. Advice for Parents When Alisa Liu no longer wanted to continue figure skating, Arthur Liu admitted that he felt very conflicted. As a father, he was saddened and heartbroken to see that she no longer wanted to go to the rink, especially since she had been preparing for the Olympic Games, which should have been an exciting journey. Yet, throughout the preparation process, her mood had been heavy, and that troubled him deeply. After she retired for two years, he still felt a sense of regret. The family had devoted an enormous amount of time, money, and effort to training her. At the time, she was only 16 years old, and the potential of a figure skater had not yet fully unfolded, yet she had already stepped away from the ice. Even so, he realized that this was an important lesson. No matter how sad he felt, he still had to respect his daughter's choice. He said what he felt needed to be said, but he did not force her to continue competing. Later, when Alisa Liu returned to skating, it was entirely her own decision. In his view, when someone truly wants to do something themselves, their motivation is far stronger. But if they are pushed by parents, friends, or coaches, the result often backfires. He believes the most important thing is to communicate with children and pay attention to their emotional well-being. Figure skating is an extremely difficult sport. If an athlete's mindset is not stable, it becomes very hard to perform triple jumps and land them safely. Moreover, it is also a sport where injuries are common, so a child's health must always come first. Looking back, he believes that not forcing his daughter to continue skating at that time was the right decision. When she returned, her motivation came from within. In the past, he had to drive her to the rink. Now she drives herself to practice. In his view, the key difference is that the motivation now comes from inside her. That is why respecting a child's personal choice and inner drive is so important. In addition, he believes the first responsibility of parents is to recognize and truly understand their child's natural talents. Once parents see that their child has an aptitude in a certain area, they should focus on nurturing and developing that gift. In his view, many Chinese parents are willing to invest great effort and expense in their children's development. He also believes he succeeded in recognizing Elisa Liu's talent in figure skating at an early age. At the same time, he emphasizes that talent alone is not enough. It must be supported with serious investment of time and resources. When Elisa Liu was young, many children practiced for only about half an hour at a time, but he had her train two to three hours a day. As a result, compared with others, she accumulated far more practice time and training volume, helping her build an exceptionally solid technical foundation. What do you think about Arthur Liu's journey? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you for watching and see you next time.