You know those dreams where you’re about to face a huge moment, and suddenly you’re the star of your own horror show? Like forgetting your pants on stage or freezing up on live TV? Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had that kind of nightmare—except it came after battling a brutal sickness right before her first Olympics. She imagined the great moment, thinking the spotlight was so extraordinary it would transform her into the best version of herself. But reality? Oh, it had other plans. It was 2016, the year of the Zika virus, when even seasoned Olympians were backing out of Rio. But for 16-year-old Sydney, this was her first Olympics, her big debut, and she was the youngest athlete to make the American Olympic track and field team.

Then came the nightmare. An eight-hour flight surrounded by sneezes and coughs left her feeling awful by the time she touched down. No, it wasn’t Zika, but it was enough to knock her off her feet. “The sickness kept me quarantined in my room. It wasn’t that anyone told me to stay there; it was that I didn’t have the energy even to get out of bed,” she shared. Living on Team USA snack baskets and roommate-delivered meals, she barely had time to recover before stepping onto the track for her first heat. And as she stood there, still weak, the pressure of performing at her first Olympics was nothing short of terrifying. So much so, her imagination betrayed her with visions of an epic fail.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s miserable start on the Rio Olympics track

Before the quarterfinal, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was still recovering from the brutal infection she caught on her way to Rio. Just days before the race, she was back on the track with her high school coach, Mike McCabe, trying to shake off the weakness that clung to her like a second skin. But no matter how much she tried to push, her body refused to cooperate. Clearing a few hurdles in practice felt like a monumental task. And in her anxious, teenage mind, the stakes loomed even larger. She imagined every possible disaster.

“With my up-and-down emotions and my fear of failure, I could see myself unable to get off the starting blocks, then running in slow motion in front of tens of thousands in the stadium and millions of TV viewers, gasping for breath as I came around the final turn or, worse, snagging a hurdle with my foot and crashing face-first into the track,” Sydney McLaughlin wrote in her biography—Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.

Her teenage dream of being the “best possible version” of herself was shattered under the weight of reality. The bright lights of the Olympics didn’t feel magical—they felt suffocating. As she stood on the track, writhing in emotional and physical pain, her imagination painted her as “broken limbs, tears streaming down my face, just an absolute mess,” as she put it. That larger-than-life Olympic moment? It felt strikingly ordinary, even cruel. The same anxious feelings she’d battled before races were back in full force, disrupting her sleep and stealing her appetite.

Sydney didn’t win in Rio. She didn’t even make it past the semifinal. But the lesson wasn’t in the medal—it was in her mindset. Reflecting on the loss, the 17-year-old said, “It’s just the end of my season, not the end of my career.” That resilience, that refusal to be defined by a single moment, became the foundation for her future domination.

The Rio Olympics hurdles became a stepping stone in Sydney’s career

During the Rio Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone placed fifth in her heat in the qualifying round. Yet, her impressive 400m hurdles time of 56.32 seconds secured her a spot in the semifinals. Though she didn’t advance further, the experience was transformative. Despite the loss, her semifinal performance hinted at the greatness to come, as she began rewriting the record books soon after.

Sydney has since shattered the 400-meter hurdles world record six times, with milestones like her 50.37-second run at the Paris Olympics in 2024, where she not only broke her own record but also became the first woman to defend her Olympic title in the event. From entering the 51-second bracket in 2021 to now eyeing the unthinkable—breaking the 50-second barrier—Sydney’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

But her rise hasn’t been without struggles. Sydney battled anxiety, personal heartbreaks, injuries, and defeats on the track. Yet, each setback only strengthened her resolve. With four Olympic gold medals, three world championship titles, and the honor of being named the 2024 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, she’s proven that every hurdle—both on and off the track—can be a stepping stone to greatness.