Noah Lyles is the third-fastest man across 200m, the defending world champion in two events, a sponsored athlete, and now, an Olympic gold medalist. If you’ve been following the 27-year-old for the last few years, you may think the sprinter has always been a superstar. However, you may be surprised to find out that Lyles faced bullying and multiple health issues growing up.

A stark contrast with Lyles who said, “I have (an) extremely strong ambition to be the best at anything I touch.” When the host of Everybody Wants To Be Us on YouTube asked the world champion where he found his confidence, the 27-year-old explained that his determination came from how he overcame the bullies in his life.

“It didn’t happen overnight… I was bullied through middle school,” said the newly crowned 100m Olympic gold medalist. “My trust in myself and my belief in myself was very low,” added Noah Lyles. His dyslexia and attention deficit disorder (ADD) only invited further bullying, as the sprinter didn’t secure good grades. Yet, Lyles said he refused to believe that he “was gonna be stuck” in the mediocrity his bullies wished for him.

“No,” the athlete told himself and vowed to not only improve as a sprinter but push the boundaries of human limits. It’s safe to say that becoming the third-fastest man in history is coming close to pushing the limits of how fast a human can run. The 27-year-old also realized that grades, dyslexia, or ADD didn’t dictate how intelligent he was.

Noah Lyles was determined to rise above the bullies who ridiculed him for circumstances beyond his control. Track and field provided an outlet where his disorders didn’t hinder his performance. Unfortunately, the bullying persisted, extending beyond middle school and even continuing as he began to excel on the track. Despite his growing success, the challenges of dealing with bullies remained a constant struggle throughout his journey.

Noah Lyles’ journey from bullying to Olympic stardom

During the podcast, the 3x  Olympic medalist also opened up about how the bullying didn’t stop even in high school. By the time he turned 17, Lyles had already earned the honor of representing Team USA in the Youth Olympics. However, since the bullies could no longer ridicule the athlete for his achievements, they picked on minute imperfections.

“Let’s just say the medication that I was taking for my ADD and asthma, it really yellowed my teeth,” revealed Noah Lyles. All it took was that “little flaw” for the bullying to continue. However, thanks to his mother and family’s support, the athlete overcame the hardships. While Lyles’ bullies were busy picking on his imperfections, the sprinter perfected his craft.

At 19, Lyles turned professional and secured a sponsorship with Adidas, marking the beginning of his journey toward Olympic glory. Today, he is arguably the most popular sprinter in the world, following in the footsteps of Usain Bolt.