Enjoying the glitz and glamor of being at the top of proceedings seems quite fancy. However, the pain and hardships put behind to achieve the same often go unnoticed. Likewise, track icon Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also has a story to tell. Ahead of her race in the Rio Olympics, the 25-year-old got the fear of her lifetime. With the Zika virus scare threatening the Olympics, the track icon developed symptoms of sneezing and coughing. While it was not a Zika infection, the deteriorating health was enough to put her Olympic run off the track. But obviously, she wasn’t done.

While quarantined, she was delivered her food and other essentials via room service. And quite expectedly, did not win the race. But just when everyone thought she was down and out, she made an announcement, “It’s just the end of my season, not the end of my career.” She meant every word and how! Coming back at the Tokyo Olympics, she proved her worth by securing two gold medals. And if that was not enough, the hurdler followed it up with two more gold medals in Paris, in another statement about her greatness, she proceeded to set a new world record at the Paris Olympics as she clocked 50.37. What could be her recipe for greatness? Well if you want to know, there’s no need to keep guessing because the fan-favorite hurdler doesn’t believe in gatekeeping!

In a video uploaded by World Athletics on YouTube for Women’s Day, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone got candid about her life’s philosophy. She stated how she always wanted to push her limits in her pursuit of greatness. “Being able to step on the track every single day and figure out how to be better than I was the day before is something I pride myself on,” said the Olympic champion. She further added that with persistent hard work and dedication, nothing seems impossible to achieve. But what about the challenges on the way? She uses them as a catalyst!

“The road is not always going to be easy, but it’s about your attitude and how you face those challenges that will shape you—as a person, as a woman, and as an athlete,”. She also emphasized the fact that having like-minded people help and support throughout the journey is of utmost importance. The track icon extended her gratitude and thanked her team for sticking to her and believing in her over the years. But even among all these people, there’s one who deserves special mention.

We are referring to the hurdler’s coach, Bob Kersee. Initially baffled by her coach’s antics, the seeds of excellence were well nurtured, which blossomed into a full-grown talent within the track icon.

How Coach Bobby’s unconventional methods led Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to Olympic glory

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance on the track has a lot to do with her exceptional mental edge. Behind that champion mentality is the guiding hand of Coach Bob Kersee, whose unconventional methods shaped McLaughlin-Levrone’s mindset in ways she never expected. But the start of their relationship was far from a breeze. 

McLaughlin-Levrone admitted that Kersee’s techniques didn’t always make sense at first. In her book Far Beyond Gold, she described them as “pointless commands.” Jogging a lap or running to the nearest turn and back seemed trivial. Until it wasn’t. These seemingly random instructions helped the hurdler block out all distractions and develop an enviable resilience. Soon that mental shift translated into phenomenal success on track as the 25-year-old secured two gold medals in Tokyo. But there was a bigger test ahead.

The real challenge came ahead of the Paris Olympics. McLaughlin-Levrone faced a dilemma—she wanted to take 14 steps between hurdles, even though it wasn’t the conventional strategy. The uncertainty crept in, and she found herself stuck. That’s when Kersee stepped in, and yet again, with his unique approach, the elite coach was aiming to take Sydney to the pinnacle of glory. “Yeah, he literally had a text that just repeatedly said, ‘Let your body do what it wants to do. Let your body do what it wants to do; let your body do what it wants to do’ like 50 times, uh, right before the Olympic trials,” the 25-year-old recalled. That simple yet repetitive advice gave her the confidence to trust her instincts.

The results were undeniable. The Olympian executed her race strategy, shifting between 14 and 15 steps, and shattered the world record. It wasn’t just about technique—it was about trust, instinct, and mental strength. Without Kersee’s guidance and belief in her natural ability, Sydney might not have achieved Olympic history. The win was about teaching McLaughlin-Levrone how to win from within.