In an unexpected turn of events, sprinter Noah Lyles has stepped in as Fred Richards’ mentor a few months back. Recognized for his lightning-fast pace on the athletic field, Lyles had also promised to rectify some faults in Fred’s routine. Now, finding his ‘mentee’ doing well at the ongoing Xfininity Championships, Noah could not stop himself from leaving a message to him.

Noah Lyles took to his X to mark the occasion of Fred’s remarkable performance at the ongoing event. He reshared a post by the NBC Olympics & Paralympics that showcases Fred’s high bar routine where he grabbed the second position. Along with that, Noah left a short but impactful message: “I see you Dog.”

It was in the month of January when Noah took the time to share his thoughts about Fred’s technique. The two went on a FaceTime call, the clip of which Fred later shared on his Instagram handle. Fred was basically trying to improve his “vault for the upcoming 2024 Olympics,” as he mentioned. Lyles skillfully guided Richards like a coach during this call by giving him precise suggestions on his gymnastics methods.

Interestingly, Lyles found “a lot of issues” with Richards’ attempt and provided a thorough game plan for him to work on. The schedule of speed bounces, hill jumps, one-legged hill jumps, and 20-meter hill sprints. There was also a “reaction game” that required him to leap up and run on cue. Lyles also suggested that Richards recharge in the pool, incorporating a rubber duck for a good time.

Probably the most remarkable moment of that call came when Lyles promised to Fred, “I’ll get that right.” Richards’ preparation must have gained dramatically from this unorthodox workout program. To top it off, Noah’s latest public praise of Fred will surely boost his morale. Amid all this, something that stands out is Fred’s dedication to striving for excellence. That very inclination brought him some remarkable achievements in the recent past.

Fred Richards’ strategy to never lose the steam

Fred Richards created waves last year when he took home two bronze medals at the World Championships. He became the first American male gymnast to win an all-around world medal in over a decade, Alongside, that also made him Team USA’s youngest gymnast to earn a medal. Now, with just 56 days to go for the Paris Olympics, Richards has set his goal. To attain that, he trains seven days a week. In an interview with Sam Oldham, Richards recently highlighted how committed he was toward his goals.

” Sunday is the day off for the lighter day…still in the gym I’m in the gym right now,” the 20-year-old had added in the conversation with Oldham in March. He keeps his schedule consistent without doing an excessive amount of heavy lifting on Sundays by spending a few hours doing yoga and physical therapy. But why he does not spare even a single day in a week?

Richards stated that his training would not be disciplined if he was one day behind. “…really love the feeling of just consistency. There’s not like a Monday like I kind of have to come back after that one-day lag. I just like…being able to keep going,” Fred had said, explaining the importance of being in practice all through the week. It seems that such a dedication is the juice behind his success at this tender age. Hopefully, that will pay him dearly in the coming days as he prepares for the upcoming big rumble.