Your Worth Is Not Your Results: Luis Hernandez Shares His Figure Skating Evolution

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What happens when your entire identity is wrapped up in being an athlete, and suddenly your body betrays you? Former figure skater Luis Hernandez knows this journey intimately. From his earliest memories as a three-year-old begging to skate in Guadalajara, Mexico, to becoming one of the sport's most resilient comeback stories, Luis shares his remarkable path through figure skating's highest heights and lowest valleys.
Luis takes us through his childhood transition from Mexico to San Diego, where his persistent begging for skating lessons finally paid off. We follow his rapid rise through the ranks to the national stage, training alongside the legendary Michelle Kwan, and the devastating moment when doctors told him his career was over due to severe hip injuries. "It was a big moment of trauma for me," Luis reveals. "My identity was kind of taken away from me."
But this is where Luis's story truly begins to inspire. Rather than accepting defeat, he sought alternative perspectives and embarked on a years-long journey to reclaim not just his skating career, but a healthier relationship with himself. This transformative approach led to his remarkable second career phase representing Mexico internationally, becoming a six-time national champion and competing until age 31—exceptionally rare in figure skating.
Perhaps most powerfully, Luis has translated his personal challenges into meaningful impact by co-founding Lasso Safe, an organization dedicated to protecting athletes across all sports. "Our mission is to protect athletes and ensure that they're being heard," he explains, addressing the intense pressure, body image issues, and mental health challenges that many athletes face silently.
Whether you're a skating enthusiast, an athlete of any discipline, or someone navigating your own personal setbacks, Luis's journey offers profound insights about resilience, identity, and creating success on your own terms. Listen now and discover how sometimes our greatest contributions emerge from our deepest challenges.

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Chapters

1. Your Worth Is Not Your Results: Luis Hernandez Shares His Figure Skating Evolution (00:00:00)

2. Introducing Luis Hernandez (00:00:09)

3. Beginning a Skating Journey in Mexico (00:01:17)

4. Rising Through the Ranks (00:04:52)

5. Career-Threatening Hip Injuries (00:08:04)

6. Finding a Path Back to Skating (00:10:21)

7. Representing Mexico and Second Career Phase (00:15:28)

8. Mental Health in Figure Skating (00:20:11)

9. Olympic Commentary and Doping Issues (00:28:08)

10. Creating Athlete Support with Lasso Safe (00:32:46)

11. Advice for Young Skaters (00:48:30)