Noah Lyles documented some unforgettable moments at the Stade de France recently. As his name was announced for the 100m showdown, he entered with supreme verve, jumping right onto the tracks. And as he won the 100m title by a 0.005-second margin, it further served as a boost to his high-spirit! He flashed his name tag, ‘Lyles’ to the world, with cameras also capturing the motifs painted on his nails before he ran to hug his mother and girlfriend in the stands.

“Say something,” he even gave a roaring challenge to his naysayers. Well, why not? The American sprinter had just shown the world his mettle. He was even unshakably confident of his 200m sprint, before Covid derailed his plans slightly. But the confidence did not turn down. Ever thought what fuels him to put up this show?

Noah Lyles spills the tea behind this on-track zest

In a recent interview with Sky news, Lyles confessed, “I try to be a showman – some people criticize me for it, some people love it. They’re watching because they want to see who’s going to be the fastest. And that’s what I want to bring. I want to bring entertainment to it.” He further adds, “I know that just because I win it doesn’t mean that I’ll gain fans. I need to keep going.” Lyles makes it clear that sprinting for him is also bringing a factor of entertainment to the tracks.

Well, before both the finals, Lyles had entered the Paris tracks visibly pumped up. To an extent that fans questioned why did he do that if he was unwell. But in a Track Spice clip, Lyles was seen stating that had he not done that, he would not be able to encourage himself to be excited for running the race. He had even explained how vital it was for him to push his limits before a race, in order to garner the mental strength to bolt down the tracks. Moreover, with the recent statements, his actions seem far from exuding arrogance.

But behind this electrifying on-track presence, one that is too hard to miss, has been a childhood where he endeavored multiple problems. Especially, related to his health.

Lyles struggled with multiple pressures as a child

Till the age of 8, Lyles suffered with frequent asthama attacks. He was even debarred from taking part in sports, while his mother Keisha Cane ensured a dust-free sanctuary for him at home. But gradually, things got better. With the help of nebulizer treatments and medical professionals to his aid, he was able to keep the asthama under control. Moreover, this wasn’t all of Lyles problems. Lyles was also diagnosed with ADD and dyslexia as a child.

But, it was athama that seemed to have given him the toughest time. Speaking to CNN, Lyles had once mentioned,
Asthma definitely affects kind of everything I do in terms of health, physical fitness, sometimes even emotional because if you’re emotionally fatigued, that can bring your immune system down,” Moreover, it was a culmination of everything that even led him to be bullied as a child. However, the dark days are now behind him. What do you think of his confidence? Let us know below.