There’s no doubt that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a once-in-a-generation athlete. After all the 400-meter hurdles, the specialist has broken her world record five times. However, the 25-year-old always credits her parents for helping unlock her true potential. “I credit them so much for how they handled my young years,” Sydney said while appearing on the ‘Jesus Calling’ podcast.

“They really wanted me to grow and develop, no. 1 my body, and no. 2 my love for the sport naturally,” said the Olympic champion. So when McLaughlin-Levrone learned of her father’s heart condition in 2021, the track and field icon became gravely concerned. What’s more? With the loss of her uncle still fresh, the 400m hurdles world record holder never expected to hear such news.

How Willie McLaughlin’s condition went from bad to worse

Mclaughlin-Levrone’s father was born with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition restricts blood flow to and from the heart due to the thickening of the blood vessels. So when her father went for a routine check-up in January 2021, no one in the family batted an eye. After all, Willie had been an athlete and maintained a healthy lifestyle thanks to his heart condition.

“But things didn’t go as planned. His heart didn’t respond well to the treatment… The next day, the doctor came back with unexpected news. For reasons they couldn’t fully explain, my dad’s heart had responded negatively to the treatment.” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote in her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from the Fear of Faith. However, things only got worse.

“His heart was failing, and if he didn’t get a transplant soon, it would give out,” added the former world champion. McLaugh-Levrone was jolted into a sense of disbelief. “A new heart? Right now? It didn’t make sense,” the Olympian wrote. She recalled speaking to her parents on the phone and realizing they also felt overwhelmed.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone highlights how the COVID-19 restriction even made training a nightmare. In fact, the hurdler’s coach had to resort to extreme methods just to ensure she could train for Tokyo. Unfortunately, all the 25-year-old and her family could do was wait. And it was this excruciating wait that nearly crushed her spirit.

The Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone nearly crumbled at the thought of losing her father

“While my mom and dad waited with seemingly infinite patience, I questioned God,” wrote the Olympian. The sudden deterioration of her seemingly healthy father had absolutely blindsided the four-time Olympic gold medalist. In fact, the track and field star felt more worried about her mother’s heart health than her father’s. In 2016, Mary Neumeister was the one who had a heart attack.

The Olympic medalist felt shocked when her mother, who once ran the 400-meter dash with the boys, had a heart attack. This time it was not better; watching her man, who made it to the semi-finals of the 400-meter U.S. Olympic trials in 1984, living on borrowed time took its toll. The thought of losing her father affected all aspects of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s life.

She recalled the heartbreaking loss of her uncle Russel. “He was one of the biggest ‘Sydney’ fans around,” wrote the hurdler, recalling how she continued to miss his uplifting and encouraging demeanor. The thought of the same thing happening with her father filled the champion hurdler with dread. It became so bad the track and field star even questioned herself.

“From time to time, I would wonder if my dad’s sickness was my fault. Maybe I’d somehow displeased God,” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote. Thankfully, the waiting paid off, and her father underwent a successful heart transplant. That same year, McLaughlin-Levrone gifted her father two Olympic golds.