It’s not every day Olympic and World Champion Noah Lyles comes out humble on social media. The boisterous champion whipped up a storm of criticism after repeatedly posting about his confidence ahead of Paris 2024. While he partially lived up to those words, the track and field icon was back in the headlines, clashing with NFL star Tyreek Hill. His boastful self did not change in that interaction either when he invited Hill into a 100m dash. However, one of his X posts, made a day back, saw the other side of the champion.

Of the numerous posts Lyles made on X in the recent past, few have impacted people like the one after his Olympic triumph. “I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!” the champion wrote from the City of Light. Now, as he found these words inspiring a new generation of talent, Noah could not help but express his gratitude.

An English teacher of the South Academy of International Languages in Charlotte, Justin Parmenter, took to social media to share how he’s using Noah Lyles’ words in the classroom. The educator made a poster with the inspiring X post from Noah and placed it in his classroom, right above the whiteboard.

“My seventh-grade English students in Charlotte, NC get to read your tweet while they’re sitting in class thinking about their presents and futures. Thank you for inspiring our children to dream big and go for it.” Parmenter wrote on X. The post touched the 27-year-old.

“I’m honored that you would use me as an example. Especially since I lived in Charlotte,” said the three-time Olympic medalist. Born in Gainesville, Florida, the world championship sprint double winner eventually moved to Alexandria, Virginia. But he has deep-rooted connections to Charlotte.

Noah was born to Kevin Lyles and his then-wife Keisha Caine Bishop, They moved to Charlotte when Noah was eight years old. Noah and his siblings spent the initial days of their upbringing in Charlotte. Noah attended Northwest School of the Arts on Beatties Ford Road and spent time at the Sugar Creek Rec Center. Before his parents divorced and he moved to Virginia, Noah and his family were familiar faces at tracks in the Queen City.In fact, he ran his first official track and field race at Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte.

“If you’re in the track community, you most likely know that he lived here He ran with our program, the University City Youth Niners for several years. This is where he got his start in track and field,” Kevin Lyles had said to WCNC after Noah’s Olympic triumph. Noah had such an attachment to Charlotte that he used to go there every Sunday for the team, Kevin revealed. “A lot of people in the track community know that Noah Lyles made his mark here in Charlotte, North Carolina,” Kevin further added. he has an explanation about the bold and outgoing nature of Noah Lyles.

“At the heart of it is who Noah is. He has a lot of energy. He has a lot of passion. And you can see that. He’s doing something he loves. I’m definitely not that flamboyant. His mom’s not either. That’s Noah. Pure and simple,” Kevin says. Indeed, his accolades speak for that. Before the Olympic gold, he has the coveted record of the sprint treble in the 2023 World Championships. While the COVID-19 infection may have snatched the Olympic sprint double, Lyles has achieved his dream of being an Olympic champion. Yet, such a monumental achievement felt impossible at one point in his life.

Noah Lyles had to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges

As a child, the track and field icon was hit with a double whammy of physical and learning disorders. While allergies and asthma severely affected his quality of life, attention deficit disorder and dyslexia limited his capacity to learn. However, depression and anxiety diagnoses came later, after the 200m bronze medalist faced constant bullying in school.

“They were ruthless,” Noah Lyles described his bullies while speaking to TIME. He said the relentlessness of the bullying was “an emotional beating, that’s the stuff that really breaks you down.” However, the third-fastest man across 200m (in history) didn’t give up. The sprinter refused to believe he “was gonna be stuck” in mediocrity. So he strived to defeat his circumstances and succeeded.

The 6x world champion wrote those words because if he could overcome mental and physical challenges in the face of constant bullying, anyone could achieve greatness with enough effort. The Olympic champion’s mother also had a similar opinion. “I just want our experience to encourage somebody else,” she said while speaking on Hearst Television.

Kiesha Cain’s wish came true when educator Erica Clason also uploaded the nearly identical poster to the Parmenter used in his classroom. “Using an Olympian @LylesNoah to inspire my special education classroom!!” the teacher wrote on X. It seems Lyles’ words have had a far-reaching impact neither he nor his family members expected. After Noah Lyles replied, the advocate invited him to speak to the kids in person if the athlete found time to visit Charlotte. It seems that not just the bold side of Noah, but his other side, a testament to overcoming debacles, has also received a widespread recognition and adoration.