The Paris Olympics were a wild ride for Noah Lyles. He kicked off with a gold in the 100 meters, then out of nowhere, COVID hit. After that, he ended up third in the 200 meters, which is usually his event. Plus, he had to pull out of the 4×100 relay. But he was still the face of athletics. When he first got into track, he always dreamed of doing more than just winning. And now, it’s pretty clear he has made it. But with all the achievements, there’s fame too. Recently, he got pretty honest about the struggles behind all the glory. So, what’s it really like for him to deal with all the fame?

On December 20th, Noah Lyles sat down for an honest conversation on the “Beyond The Records Podcast” on YouTube, opening up about the challenges that come with fame. He shared, “To be all honest, I’m kind of struggling with it. Like, I knew that it was going to come, but getting into it has been very much a weird position because I’m not, I don’t make enough money to hire my own security 24/7—but I’m obviously popular enough that wherever I go, I’m going to be noticed and seen.”

Lyles also talked about a conversation he had with Terry Crews, asking, “How do you get through it? You know, people come up and they touch you and grab you because they feel like they know you. They’ve grown up with you; they’ve seen you through the screens.” Lyles acknowledged how blessed he was to have that level of recognition, but he also pointed out the tough part: “I do have my boundaries, as any human does.“

It’s a tricky situation, balancing the good with the weird and the uncomfortable, and Lyles clearly wasn’t shy about sharing how he’s been navigating that line. But this wasn’t the first time he spoke about the struggles that come with popularity. Even after winning his gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles admitted, “I’m struggling with my mental… I’ve become kind of popular at the village. Unfortunately, that comes with its own set of challenges.”

To avoid constant interruptions, he found himself eating at odd times and hiding out in remote corners of the dining area. In addition, even going for his normal workouts with the weights became quite an issue since he was to come face to face with fans, fencers, rowers, and judokas, among other people who all wanted to meet him as they had only seen him on television. But fame is not all good, more so for someone like Lyles, who, in the past, has not hidden that he has the blues of depression. Well, how does he live through the negative facets that come with fame?

Noah Lyles’ secret to surviving fame’s dark side

One thing that is evident about Noah Lyles is that he has been vocal about his thoughts—something that comes with many adversities—and yet he has learned how to cope with the ugly side of it all thanks to a good support system. This is why he has said that the people you associate with need to be a source of positive pressure. For instance, as Lyles himself said, “It’s the family members; it’s the people who go through the struggle with you. Those are the people that you feel you get to celebrate with the most when it feels the most.” His friends and teammates, including Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway, have also played a massive role in helping him recall when society forgets that he is predominantly a great human and athlete.

Lyles also derived confidence in brand partnerships, which specifically include Celsius that resonates with the company’s “take charge and go into action” brand positioning. He captures the essence of their high energy with the quote: “We all have that very excitable energy… take charge and go into action no matter what’s happening,” which shows what he did with his passionate energy.

In addition, there are times when Noah Lyles receives a lot of negative comments, but surprisingly, Lyles has learned to regulate the narrative and his emotions. He has gone so far as to say, “Once the general public gets a hold of [what I say], they make their opinion and put it off as my opinion.” This is the thing Noah Lyles realized: people don’t always get the big picture, and he’s waiting for the right moment to share the whole story.