Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has candidly shared how she once struggled with the pressure of being seen as a role model early in her athletic journey. After making her Olympic debut at the Rio Games while still a high school student where she reached the semifinals her life quickly became the subject of a documentary. The film followed her balancing school life with elite training, even capturing practice sessions in her high school’s hallways.
In the aftermath, she was asked how she hoped to impact the world and inspire future generations. But deep down, McLaughlin-Levrone admitted she felt unprepared for that role. In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith, published in January 2024, she described the internal tension:
“Inside, I felt like I still needed good role models to help me through all these wild changes, yet everyone was already looking at me differently, expecting me to share wisdom I did not yet possess.”
She also confessed that some of the advice she gave felt inauthentic, more like what she thought people wanted to hear rather than truths she lived by.
“Much of it was advice I didn’t even take for myself but was quick to give others… it seemed to help and encourage people too. That surprised me, but I regret that it didn’t always come from a genuine place,” she reflected.
Although she once felt overwhelmed by the expectations, the course of her life shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic when she found strength and direction through faith.
Now a four-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world record breaker in the 400m hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone has grown into the very kind of role model she once searched for. Speaking to World Athletics for International Women’s Day in May 2025, she said:
“Seeing the incredible achievements of the women who came before me gave me something to aspire to… I just want to be that same inspiration for the little girl watching just like I once was at 8 years old, dreaming of being on that stage.”
She emphasized that how she lives both in the spotlight and behind the scenes is guided by the desire to make her younger self proud.
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