Noah Lyles isn’t just breaking speed records he’s on a mission to keep track and field in the spotlight. His latest move? Challenging NFL star Tyreek Hill to a race. While the details are still up in the air, Lyles has made his intentions clear: he’s not just aiming to outrun Hill he wants to set a world record in the process.
But before Lyles became the world’s fastest man, he had to outrun something even tougher: childhood asthma. As a kid, simple tasks were a struggle due to his relentless cough. “He couldn’t eat without coughing. He couldn’t play,” his mother, Keisha Bishop, told ESPN. Now, he’s the one making defenders struggle to keep up. And, true to his style, Lyles added a bit of social media drama ahead of the race, dropping a cryptic message on X.
Lyles isn’t just a star on the track he’s also known for his witty remarks. He once joked, “Allergies and asthma are like bad kids. They keep you up at night, jump on your chest all day, and never listen.” But behind the humor lies a lifetime of battling asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression. Diagnosed with reactive airway disease at five, he spent countless nights in hospitals. His mother went all out to improve his condition removing curtains, tossing stuffed animals, even hiring an HVAC tech to clean their air ducts. When he was seven, surgery helped his breathing, and around that time, he discovered sports.
Just when things seemed to be improving, high school brought new challenges. After races, his asthma left him bedridden for days. His mother once asked him, “What is your purpose?” His response? “To run really fast.” And that purpose never wavered, even when it pushed him to his limits like in Paris, where he collapsed after finishing third in the 200m final.
Asthma has always been part of Lyles’s journey, affecting his health, fitness, and emotions. The COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of struggle, leading to depression that impacted his Tokyo performance. In Paris, he proved his resilience, winning gold in the 100m despite battling illness. But his toughest moment came when he collapsed after the 200m, struggling to breathe. His mother, who had tested positive for COVID before the race, watched helplessly as stadium security ignored her pleas for medical help. It wasn’t until NBC Olympics staff intervened that Lyles got the care he needed.
Despite everything, Lyles remains unstoppable. Paris tested him in every way, but he’s already looking ahead. Expect to see him back, faster and stronger, in Los Angeles 2028.
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