The glitz and glamour of being at the top often overshadow the struggles that pave the way to success. Track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is no exception. Before achieving Olympic greatness, she faced a terrifying hurdle ahead of her first Olympic race in Rio fearing she had contracted the Zika virus after experiencing flu-like symptoms. While it wasn’t Zika, her declining health kept her from competing at her best. Forced into quarantine with room service delivering her meals, she fell short in the race.
But she wasn’t done. In response to doubts about her future, she confidently declared, “It’s just the end of my season, not the end of my career.” True to her word, she returned stronger at the Tokyo Olympics, winning two gold medals. She then solidified her legacy in Paris, securing two more golds and setting a world record in the 400m hurdles with a blistering 50.37 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone credits her relentless pursuit of self-improvement for her success. In a candid Women’s Day interview with World Athletics, she emphasized the importance of pushing past limits. “Stepping on the track every day and figuring out how to be better than I was the day before is something I pride myself on,” she shared. Her mindset? Hard work and perseverance make anything possible, and challenges only serve as motivation.
However, behind every champion is a strong support system, and for McLaughlin-Levrone, that includes her coach, Bob Kersee. Though initially puzzled by his unconventional training methods such as seemingly random drill, she later realized they built her mental resilience. Before the Paris Olympics, she faced a critical decision: sticking to the traditional hurdle strategy or trusting her instincts to take 14 steps between hurdles. Doubt crept in until Kersee sent a simple yet powerful text: “Let your body do what it wants to do” repeated 50 times.
That trust paid off. McLaughlin-Levrone executed her strategy flawlessly, shattering the world record. More than just technique, her triumph was about self-belief, mental fortitude, and trusting the process. Without Kersee’s guidance, her historic performance might never have happened.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s journey proves that setbacks are just stepping stones to greatness and she’s far from finished.
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