Guess I'm starting season 2 with a bonus episode! I wanted to take a bit of a break but theres just so much going on in the figure skating world!

We start with talking about the work Alysa Liu is doing that makes me think that despite taking this season off she is not even close to done with figure skating.

Then we move into Amber Glenns big announcement that shes going to be on Dancing with the Stars! Guess I'm watching it for the first time and always voting for her this year.

Then we talk about Kinoshita Cup, how stacked it is, and the amazing return of Sasha Trusova, who is married with a child and is now going by her new last name Ignatova. Nicknamed the quad queen, Sasha had an incredibly successful career, only to be torn apart by the media during a breakdown she had at the olympics in 2022. She left, got married, and had a child, only to come back strong! She is truly an inspiration and I can't wait to see her compete!

Season 1 is wrapping up! And before we close the book on the 2026 Milan Olympics, there are so many moments and so many skaters I haven't gotten to talk about yet. This is that episode.(though, I'd be lying if I weren't to mention even more in the coming months... there really is just too much to cover lol)This episode is a love letter to the skaters who moved me beyond my fandom trifecta; from Kaori Sakamoto skating for her last time to Ami Nakai's budding career, Misha Shaidorovs incredible win to the fearless skating of Maxim Naumov, we cover it all. And at the heart of it is the thesis of this entire podcast; how figure skating gives you the full emotional spectrum in a way nothing else does. From devastating to joyful, bold to traditional, ballerina to pop star. All of it. Sometimes in the same night. Sometimes in the same moment.Thank you for Season 1 and all of the support! It really means so much to me.

This week I finally drop my Alysa Liu episode! You're welcome, David ;)Alysa Liu is one of the most decorated figure skaters in American history. She's also the reason I had a full "these youths and their crazy hair" moment during the Olympics. This is that story.We get into how I first discovered Alysa (spoiler, I had no idea who she was and I had thoughts about the hair) and then how I fell completely in love with her story. Because beyond the gold medals and the comeback narrative everyone keeps talking about, what really grabbed me is what her return to skating actually represents. She came back on her own terms, with her own music, her own style, her own rules. No diet restrictions, no one telling her what to wear, no compromising who she is. And in a world where young athletes are still being pushed to their limits in ways that aren't okay, that matters way beyond figure skating.We also talk about her fashion, her style, her absolutely unmatched energy and mindset, and I end with some of her quotes because she is twenty years old and somehow has the wisdom of someone five times her age. You'll see what I mean. Lets fangirl guys!Alysas 60 Min Video: https://youtu.be/6O3HLPWatuU?si=0RKOcNtrLrTUodiRMy Fave Interviews(don't watch the rolling stone one, the interviewer is awful and acts like a nosy therapist) these are better: With David Greene https://youtu.be/FATY5l5dku0?si=gbldAXppx3LJ46w8Olympics Promo https://youtu.be/Jo_gb_a83xA?si=1t4nqYqsoymTDqPiWith Amber and Isabeau https://youtu.be/_WU9g10unW0?si=Nu8Bt40gUxW2k9LETeen Vogue https://youtu.be/WSsXbfl6kNM?si=EOnT3A_fk_R2GWyJVids about her I like:My Fave https://youtu.be/Ej-3_a4QL90?si=fCv5C4x9xAB_lzLxLittle wooey but still good https://youtu.be/la2hDO07Y5I?si=gzP6p4pLaH8Yq6mi