Hey everyone! Have you seen Alysa Liu’s Gold medal cinching performance at the Olympics? It was carefree, joyous, and inspirational. She glided over the ice and won the heart of everyone watching. Words can’t do it justice—go check it out if you haven’t seen her programs. I haven’t watched figure skating in years, but I tuned in at the right time this year. I’m a huge fan now.
The Burnout
How is this related to FIRE? Well, she retired from figure skating four years ago, when she was only 16! At the time, she had already won two U.S. National Championships and numerous other prizes. But Alysa was burned out.
She was discouraged by the total lack of autonomy. Coaches controlled every aspect of her life: what to eat, when to practice, and who to see. At 16, she didn’t yet know how to advocate for herself. She stopped enjoying the sport, and her performance declined. In 2022, she announced her retirement and went off to find herself.
Finding Yourself
After retiring from figure skating, she tried to be a regular teenager. She enrolled at UCLA to study psychology, trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp, got her driver’s license, and hung out with friends. Okay, maybe that isn’t exactly “normal,” but good for her!
In 2024, she went skiing at Lake Tahoe and rediscovered the “need for speed.” If you’ve ever gone skiing or snowboarding, you know how addictive speeding down the slope can be. It reminded Alysa of how skating used to feel, and she wanted more. She went to a rink, tried a double Axel, and realized she still got it.
Alysa decided to try for a comeback, and this time she will control her destiny. She picked a coach who let her be herself, Phillip DiGuglielmo. She skated for her own joy, rather than for the prize, and the result was Olympic Gold. That’s what autonomy gives you (and a world-class talent.)
The FIRE Lesson
Regular folks like us don’t have Alysa’s talent, but that’s where FIRE comes in. Financial Independence can give us that same autonomy.
Alysa was 16 when she hit her wall; I was 16 years into my engineering career when I hit mine. Burnout has no age limit. Whether you’re an elite athlete or a Senior Engineer, the symptoms are identical. You feel like you can’t continue, and you need to GTFO. Many people hold on and become miserable because they have no choice. However, FI gave me a chance to step away.
I retired from engineering and became a blogger/SAHD. The last 14 years were awesome. However, life changes. My son is older now and doesn’t need me as much, and blogging is almost dead. But I’m fine with that because FI is still here for me. I’m looking forward to the next chapter.
Even if you love your job today, I encourage you to prioritize financial independence. You never know when life—or your feelings about your career—will change. Alysa loved skating when she started at five years old, but she still needed that “retirement” to find her way back to the joy.
Are you working toward FIRE as an “exit strategy,” or are you looking for the autonomy to redefine your current role?
Bonus: Her short program.
image credit: Wikimedia common
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