Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning queen of hurdles, wasn’t always invincible. Behind the gold medals and world records lies a story of childhood innocence, teenage angst, self-doubt, and the pressure to succeed. Now a global icon in track and field, she was once a young athlete who was not just grappling with the immense pressure of Olympic expectations but also wanting to be like any other 16-year-old.

Did this internal turmoil lead to a surprising revelation about her performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics? Yes, it did! In her own words, “I did go to the track nearly every day, but my heart wasn’t in it.” Hard to believe, right? Given the Sydney we know today, it’s actually difficult to even think she wasn’t enjoying the track. But according to Sydney herself, the months leading to the 2016 Rio Olympics were a period marked by burnout and a desperate yearning for a normal teenage life.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was an exhausted teenager struggling to find joy in the sport that later went on to define her life. In her autobiography, ‘Far Beyond Gold,’ she recalls her childhood, mentioning, “Despite my dad’s easygoing attitude before the Olympic trials, I put enough pressure on myself for the both of us.” No, it was not the pressure to perform well but the pressure of taking too much on her plate. It wasn’t just her races but training, travel, and sleepless nights too, which resulted in a very exhausting summer.

In high school, while her friends were planning summer vacations and dreaming of college, McLaughlin-Levrone was immersed in her busy athletic schedule. She wrote in her memoir, “High school indoor track starts in mid-December. Now it was nearly August, and instead of winding down, I was ramping up for the biggest, most intimidating race of my life.” What this did to her was that she found herself devoid of sleep before race and a lack of interest in eating. ‘Parisian Golden Girl’ describing her situation said, “I was burned out.”

While all this, she just wished for one thing. “All I wanted was to be a sixteen-year-old girl for the last few weeks of summer.” She wished for moments of normalcy like going out to movies, munching on food she liked, and sleeping. But little did she know that was too much to ask for! The field she was in, she knew, required hard work and a strict timetable, but given her age, she wasn’t ready for it. “The discipline that is required to have a chance at doing something great sounded like too much work. So I didn’t do any of that,” she wrote.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s parents and coaches saw this but did not intervene. For which she is thankful to them: “I’m grateful they let me be a kid (as much as that is possible when you’re headed to the Olympics).” At 16, she was longing for the carefree days of childhood, for the simple joys of a teenage summer. Was it really too much to desire? Not for an average person, but maybe it was for her, given the fact that she was going to the Olympics.

The worst part of all of it was that she wasn’t able to express this to anyone, as she was afraid to disappoint people around her. It’s really sad to even think of a person of the stature of Sydney to have ever gone through this. But this is now all in the past, and our ‘Hurdle Queen’ had a legendary career with many more accolades still to be added.

From burnt-out teenager to Olympic champion

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone started her Olympic journey in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago. In 2016, at 16, she became the youngest athlete to make the U.S. track and field Olympic team in nearly 40 years. Although Levrone finished fifth and did not progress to the final, the experience was worth it. She was the first person to be named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year for two straight years. In June 2021 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, she became the first woman to ever complete the event in under 52s. Taking it even further, she broke the world record, which was previously set by herself, and set a new one in Paris with 50.37s.

But this did not come easy for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. She had to train hard and, more importantly, start a disciplined schedule and diet, which she dreaded earlier. She admitted in her book that she once viewed nutrition as an afterthought. “I thought it was just something parents say so you can’t enjoy life,” she confesses, recalling her teenage years of indulging in junk food without a second thought. This must have probably changed as she began to understand the profound impact of nutrition on athletic performance. What would have followed was a gradual transformation.

McLaughlin-Levrone slowly moved beyond the ‘teenage’ mindset of prioritizing immediate gratification. This is clearly evident from the interview she gave to ‘Women’sHealth’ two months before the Paris Olympics. At that time her breakfast included oatmeal with berries, honey, and cinnamon, and some eggs. Similarly for lunch and dinner as well, she opted for healthy options. Thus, it seems that as and when she became mature, she started to learn more about her body. Thus, she probably began to see food not just as fuel but also as a crucial tool for optimizing her performance. And then there was nothing stopping her from claiming greatness.

Already considered a GOAT at 25, McLaughlin-Levrone continues to orbit above her peers—and the history. Despite the burnout, the self-doubt, and the pressures she faced, she persevered and achieved something truly extraordinary. Levrone’s story reminds us that even in the face of adversity, it is possible to overcome challenges and achieve our dreams.