Noah Lyles might have become one of the richest athletes of the world, but there was a time when he could not even afford a pair of Walmart shoes! Noah Lyles had a tough time growing up as his mother, Keisha Caine, parted with her husband when Noah was just 13. Moving out of their house with Noah and Josephus, the Lyles family could only afford a single apartment while sleeping on the floor. Noah’s mother even agreed to stay in the basement of their uncle, Rahsaan’s apartment. 

However, after moving to Virginia, Keisha Caine took up a job in sales and things began to change for the Lyles family. Inclined towards sports right from his childhood, both Noah and his brother, Josephus, were pursuing gymnastics. However, after watching the 2012 Olympics, both the brothers decided to switch to sprinting. However, despite these developments taking place in the background, the financial condition of the Lyles family was still not satisfactory. And it was during this time that Keisha Caine had a heartbreaking moment at Walmart. 

Keisha Caine had a heartbreak for a mere $11

Keisha Caine once went to buy a pair of shoes for Noah and Josephus Lyles. Searching through the Walmart racks for the perfect size, Keisha Caine did find one. However, the moment Noah’s mother flipped the shoe to check its pricing, Caine was heartbroken. The meager $11 price tag of the shoe was too much for Caine to spend at that time. This was a heartbreaking moment for Noah’s mom and she made up her mind to bring her sons up in a way that they never have to face such a crisis again. 

Indeed, Keisha Caine was pretty successful in her mission and Noah Lyles has become an athletic phenom at the moment. Always acknowledging his mother’s contributions towards his success, in an open letter to Keisha Caine, Noah Lyles detailed the incident. Pointing out how heartbreaking it was for his mother, Noah then went on to discuss how his mother managed to tackle all the odds, proving her mental toughness. 

Noah said, “But watching you evolve from that point to everything you have achieved since, really gives me the strength to know there is nobody tougher than my mom and I want be like you one day.” And sure enough, having become a hot property in the athletic world, Noah Lyles has amassed a net worth of $5 million. And much to the elation of Keisha Caine, Noah makes his mother enjoy every bit of the luxury he has acquired. 

Oh, and the shoes part? Well, that has been taken care of as well. Cut to 2024, the sacrifice and hard work of Keisha Caine seems to be paying off as Noah Lyles has just signed a million-dollar contract with Adidas. 

Noah Lyles and Adidas extend terms till 2028

The relationship between Noah Lyles and Adidas goes back to 2016, when Lyles first turned pro as a high schooler. Continuing their merry journey, Adidas and Noah Lyles have recently decided to extend their contract till 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Signing the multi-million dollar contract in early 2024, the details of the contract have not been disclosed by either party. However, according to Noah’s agency, Global Athletics and Marketing Inc. the deal “involves extensive commitments both on and off the track and is the richest contract in the sport of track and field since the retirement of Usain Bolt.”

Thus, this is a win for Keisha Caine, as once for $11, Noah could not wear a proper shoe. But now, he has a million-dollar backing for his shoes alone. And that too, from one of the giants of the sporting world. As Noah Lyles will be looking to clinch his maiden gold medal a few moments from now, Keisha Caine will be looking on as a proud mother, watching all her sacrifices come to fruition before her eyes.