Alysa Liu’s Unconventional Childhood And The Father Who Built Her Skating Path

Alysa Liu is the eldest of five children, all of whom were born to her father, Arthur Liu, through surrogacy.

Growing up, Alysa Liu often described her upbringing as anything but typical.

Raised in Richmond, California, by her single father, Arthur Liu, Alysa was introduced to figure skating at the age of five. Once her talent became clear, Arthur began shaping her daily life around the sport, leaving little space for a childhood outside the rink.

By just 13 years old, Alysa had already made history, becoming the youngest U.S. women’s figure skating champion and the first American woman ever to land three triple axels—an achievement still considered rare in the sport.

Yet despite her rapid rise and success, skating was not something Alysa felt deeply passionate about at a young age.

“I skated every day when I was 13 and 14, so it was a very abnormal childhood,” she said during a January 2026 interview on CNN’s 60 Minutes. She compared the experience to having a job, explaining, “Especially as a kid, you don’t really know what you want. Skating feels more like a responsibility or a burden, even.”

In April 2022, shortly after competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Alysa stunned the skating world by announcing her retirement at just 16 years old—a decision she made without consulting her father.

Two years later, she rediscovered her love for the sport and staged an impressive return, capturing the 2025 World Championship title. Now competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, her primary focus is simply enjoying the experience.

From their unconventional family structure to Arthur Liu’s hands-on role in her early career, here is a closer look at Alysa Liu’s father.

Arthur emigrated from China at 25

Arthur Liu was born and raised in a small mountain village in China’s Sichuan Province, as he later told NBC Sports. One of six children, he grew up with a father who worked in government and a mother who farmed.

At 25, Arthur was forced to leave China after participating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

After settling in the Bay Area, he earned a law degree from the University of California and eventually founded his own firm, Inter-Pacific Law Group Inc.

Arthur welcomed Alysa and her siblings through surrogacy

Alysa and her four younger siblings—sister Selena and triplets Julia, Justin, and Joshua—were all born via surrogacy using anonymous egg donors. According to NBC Sports, Alysa and the triplets share the same surrogate, whom she has met.

Arthur has spoken candidly about choosing to build his family in a nontraditional way and embracing single parenthood by choice.

“I had always wanted to have kids and I was already 40,” he said in a January 2019 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Arthur’s mom helped raise Alysa and her siblings

Arthur’s mother, Shu, relocated from China to California to help raise Alysa and her siblings during their first eight years, according to NBC Sports.

At one stage, the entire family lived in a one-bedroom apartment, with all the siblings sharing a single room—something Alysa remembers fondly.

“When we were little, we would all sleep in the same room [in] three bunk beds, it was so fun,” she recalled in a December 2025 interview with KCRA. “We would stay up late, like crawling around the bunk beds … honestly, I kind of miss it.”

Arthur was very involved in her early skating career

Inspired by skating icons Michelle Kwan and Kristi Yamaguchi, Arthur introduced Alysa to figure skating when she was five years old.

Once he recognized her talent, Arthur immersed himself in her skating development, investing significant time and money into her training and traveling globally to secure top coaching.

“I spared no money, no time,” he said during the 60 Minutes segment. “I just saw the talent.”

Although he described his style as “laissez-faire,” Arthur closely monitored practices, dismissed multiple coaches, and even brought a radar gun to measure the speed of Alysa’s jumps.

“It was basically his business,” Alysa said. “It wasn’t even really mine.”

Her family influenced her decision to step away from skating

Alysa began considering leaving the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic, when rinks closed and Olympic schedules were disrupted.

“That was my first ever break,” she told The Guardian in March 2025. “Once quarantine started, I was like, ‘Wow! This is what not skating is like.’ And I loved it so much.”

Time away from competition also highlighted how much time she had spent apart from her family.

“My worry was that I’ll have never lived with my family. I’m growing up so fast, so young. I knew that if I continued skating, I would never have a chance at home,” she said.

In April 2022, she confirmed her retirement on Instagram, writing, “I honestly never thought I would’ve accomplished as much as I did. I’m so happy. I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone.”

“Now that I’m finally done with my goals in skating I’m going to be moving on with my life,” she added, saying she hoped to enjoy more time with family and friends.

Speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle that May, Alysa said she did not seek her father’s input before making the decision.

“I didn’t really ask [my dad’s] opinion when I decided to retire. After all, it’s my life,” she said, noting that Arthur was ultimately “supportive” of her choice.

Arthur is no longer involved in her skating

When Alysa chose to return to skating in 2024, she set firm boundaries, insisting on full control over her training and career decisions.

“I get to pick my own program music, I get to help with the creative process of the program,” she said on 60 Minutes. “If I feel like I’m skating too much, I’ll back down. If I feel like I’m not skating enough, I’ll ramp it up. No one is going to starve me, tell me what I can and can’t eat.”

That change also meant her father stepping back. “He’s a great father, I just didn’t want him to be as invested in it as he was before,” she explained.

In the same interview, Arthur acknowledged that he was “a little bit” hurt by the decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vK26TlfyHI&pp=ygUJQWx5c2EgTGl1

“It’s like … I brought you up to two U.S. national titles,” he said. Even so, he has remained supportive and was seen cheering from the stands when Alysa won the World Championship in March 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PogASnNhKDY&pp=ygUJQWx5c2EgTGl1