For Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the Rio Olympics was an uncommon experience altogether. Anyone can imagine the storm that a 17-year-old might have encountered in the Brazilian capital. But her actual suffering can beat those guesses. First, she failed to continue the momentum on track. The Dunellen native had a terrific start in that season. In Rio, however, nothing fell into the right place for her. In the qualifying heat, Sydney finished fifth in the 400m hurdles event. Because of her better timing, she reached the semifinal. The athlete wasn’t pleased, though. She already counted herself miserably. In the semifinal, the miserable part made a major entry. 

A fifth-place finish in the Olympic semifinal can hardly help any athlete. It didn’t help Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone either. She had to return from Rio empty-handed. But now, revelation shows that her suffering was larger. In Rio, the former Union Catholic star experienced a few things that she failed to reveal to her parents. Can you guess what those were? 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had to fight with opponents away from the track 

In Rio, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had to face double whammies during the Olympics. One came on the track in the shape of her dreaded opponents. Another? Virus and sickness. Yes, in Rio, she had to suffer from a problematic sickness. As per the lines written in her book, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, Sydney had to hide her illness from her parents. But why? Feeling uncomfortable during such a mega event in a foreign land is a red mark for any athlete. Then why did Sydney hide her issues from her parents? She had the answer. 

“I spent most of each day sleeping, watching Netflix, texting friends, and, when I could, updating my parents on my health. I kept them in the loop, but I didn’t give them specifics because I didn’t want them to worry,” Sydney mentioned in her book. She also added about the medical help from Team USA to keep her healthy. Nonetheless, another question might follow. How did Sydney catch the sickness? Per her, a sizeable chunk of credit for it should go to USATF. That was a brave act, as the USATF had the responsibility to send the athletes to Rio safely. Then how could they become the agent of harming the athletes? 

Again, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had the answer. As per her, the eight-and-a-half-hour flight journey to reach Rio caused harm. A simplification would bring out the meaning. It was the athlete’s longest flight journey in the phase. And unfortunately, she had to deal with it in a compromised situation. How? The Olympian explained, “I had a middle seat on the flight. All the way in the back of the plane. Big mistake. I had not chosen this seat for myself; it was booked by USA Track and Field after the trials. I didn’t know I could be more specific with my preference on a seat. The flight was miserable. I was crammed between strangers who spent the entire flight sneezing and coughing.” During those days, the Zika virus was in full swing. 

Brazil had also become the epicenter of the related disease. Fortunately, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone didn’t have to face Zika’s fangs. But the infection caught during the flight journey made her pay heavily. The weakness made her bedridden. Meanwhile, she narrated the experience, “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. All I had to eat was a snack basket Team USA provided the athletes and a few meals my roommate dropped off for me.” In the next few days, she entered the race. The rest of the story is public knowledge. But was it a gloomy run for her entirely? Did Sydney learn nothing in Rio? Well, that would be a wrong statement. 

The lessons learned away from the track 

“It’s just the end of my season, not the end of my career,” a teenager said just after her elimination from her first Olympic Games appearance. Well, you know the speaker’s name—Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone! At 17, she was adamant enough not to call her defeat a defeat. Instead, she took it as a lesson. During the next few days, her confidence found a boost dramatically. No, it didn’t come through practice. Rather, Sydney earned it through her viewing experience. 

In the Rio Olympics, Sydney witnessed Usain Bolt running on the track. Perhaps it came to her for the first time in her career. It was, however, unforgettable for her. “The 100-meter sprint, where Usain Bolt won yet another gold medal. I’ll never forget the energy in the stadium that night: one of the greatest moments in Olympic history. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to be part of it,” she claimed. Moreover, she got the chance to interact with her coaches without any blockade in her mind. Jointly, those elements worked to help her grow as an athlete. The neat result? The answer was in the Tokyo Olympics. Isn’t it?