Olympian and 400-meter hurdle world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has written a memoir. Most athletes wait until the end of their career to reflect on their legacy, but McLaughlin-Levrone has been an exception since she first competed in the Olympics at age 16. But why is the 24-year-old athlete penning her story now?

“There is no better time to share my personal story than the present,” says McLaughlin-Levrone. “In this upcoming year when I prepare for the Olympic Trials, lots of people will want to get to know me… This book is an inside story of my personal life, instead of what people see on the track.”

McLaughlin-Levrone’s autobiography, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith (available now), is a chronological recount of the track prodigy’s life and career, from winning Olympic gold medals, becoming a world champion, and breaking the 400-meter hurdle world record to her spiritual growth that has guided her biggest performances.

“During those six years, I experienced profound grace. Freedom. Hope for the future. I hope all these things become true for you, too, as you join me on this journey,” McLaughlin-Levrone writes.

The Track Prodigy

McLaughlin-Levrone grew up in a loving Christian family in Dunellen, New Jersey. Her parents were also star runners. “My dad was a three-time all-American in track at Manhattan College in the Bronx.” Growing up, she was the track star, “the fast one,” and associated so much of her self-worth with winning. “I hate losing. Always have. Always will.” Her Olympic dream started at age eight, when she was watching the women’s 4-by-400-meter relay at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics on TV. “From that day forward, dreaming of Olympic glory was one of my favorite pastimes.”

In hindsight, McLaughlin-Levrone realized that she had put so much stake in winning. “I convinced myself that I was put on this earth to win. And in order to receive love and respect from others, I had to finish first. If I didn’t, what good was I?”

With her self-worth tightly wrapped up in winning, McLaughlin-Levrone often faced crippling fear. “You may know that kind of fear: the kind that freezes you, stops you in your tracks, and makes you forget everything you’ve worked for and everything you want. It feels like a curse, and it’s completely out of your control.”

No wonder at one of the most anticipated races in McLaughlin-Levrone’s career, the semi-final of the 400-meter hurdle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she self-sabotaged her effort.

“Halfway through the race, I was running well, within striking distance of the final. But at some point over the next 100 meters, my instinct abandoned me, and I was just left with my thoughts. It was the first and only time it’s ever disappeared on the track. As I labored down the back-stretch, leaping over hurdles when necessary, I suddenly found myself without the need, or even the desire, to win. I found myself actually formulating full sentences inside my head as I endured one of the most physically grueling minutes in sports. It’s been such a long season. I made it further than I thought I would. No one is going to be mad at me. Just be done. And just like that, I threw the race.”

This was the first time McLaughlin-Levrone openly wrote about this experience, which, to this day, still brings her regrets and guilt. In an interview with Women’s Running, McLaughlin-Levrone acknowledged, “I hadn’t shared it with more than a handful of people. It’s something I still think about everyday … about how fearful I was of the next race, and how I could’ve handled it so differently today.”

Growing from Regrets

With such regrets weighing on McLaughlin-Levrone, she went through a growth period, seeking counseling and then eventually deciding to turn pro, signing a contract with New Balance. With her hurdle techniques improving, she faced her biggest competitor, reigning Olympic champion, Dalilah Muhammad, at the Diamond League meet in Oslo, Norway in 2019. Shocking the world, she won the race. Yet months later, she lost to Muhammad at the World Championships in Doha, reaching an emotional low. Then came a break-up with an on-again-off-again boyfriend. Then came a global pandemic. 

In her tireless search for excellence, McLaughlin-Levrone switched from Coach Joanna Hayes to Coach Bobby Kersee, who has coached Allyson Felix, Florence Griffith Joyner, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She grew in hurdle techniques, as well as in confidence.

McLaughlin-Levrone’s personal life changed when she met her now-husband Andre Levrone Jr., a former NFL player. Levrone’s deep faith brought McLaughlin-Levrone along, creating a catalyst in her spiritual transformation. In a whirlwind of romance, the two got engaged after McLaughlin-Levrone won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Embracing Faith

Through time with Levrone, McLaughlin-Levrone fully embraced her faith. “By God’s grace, I was a new person … I knew if I was going to honor him as I moved from girlfriend to wife, I was going to have to let go of my anxiety and trust God even when the future was unknown and Andre’s and my relationship wasn’t perfect.”

With a deeper commitment to Christianity, McLaughlin-Levrone had to learn how to reconcile between being a fierce competitor and a “meek and gentle kind of Chirstian I’d read about in the Bible.” With Levrone’s help, McLaughlin-Levrone realized, “my life wasn’t about me. It was about showing the world God’s power, wisdom, kindness, love, and forgiveness.” With deepened faith, McLaughlin-Levrone was able to let go of fear in face of the biggest pressure of her career, the 2022 World Championships, where she was the favorite to win.

When asked how this book might inspire her readers to seek their own ways of letting go of fear, McLaughlin-Levrone says, “I want my readers to know that I’ve had my fears and I get anxious just like everyone else. But you can overcome that. You can let go of fear and be ready for the biggest stage.” Faith is McLaughlin-Levrone’s answer to fear. 

Track and Field fans might remember that at the 2022 World Championship in Eugene, McLaughlin-Levrone broke the 400-meter hurdle record again and won a gold medal in under 51 seconds. Her experience is proof of how we can soar when our confidence is grounded in something bigger than ourselves.

Availability

Far Beyond Gold: Returning From Fear To Faith is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and your preferred independent bookseller   

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