The world has been enthralled with the fast and athletic abilities of 6x world champion Noah Lyles. But few people are aware of his early troubles, despite his accomplishments in track and field. He has been consistently vocal about his lofty future goals in the sport. But Lyles is not all about that. Once he harbored a desire to take up a profession that is remarkably different from what he does now. Recently he revealed one of those unanticipated goals, from overcoming severe asthma to envisioning a profession unrelated to sports.

Hospital visits and breathing machines occupied Lyles’s early years. From the age of two to eight, he struggled with severe asthma, making breathing difficult. “I was able to learn very early on that life is a series of ups and downs, and that every scenario isn’t a hole, but a tunnel,” Lyles stated. His worldview was formed, and these early events imparted a strong feeling of perseverance.

Before Noah Lyles could devote all of his time to athletics, he had an additional desire: art. “I wanted to be a manga artist,” he added in a recent conversation with Dazed. This goal gave him a way out of the constraints placed on him by his asthma. Lyles recognized he had athletic possibilities, but his condition kept him from competing until high school. His father, Kevin Lyles, won gold in the 400-meter relay at the 1995 World Championships. Lyles’ mother, Keisha Caine, was a track and field competitor at the university.

The young athlete had further challenges at school. “It can be hard for a creative mind to thrive in school. You see things a little bit differently, or maybe you’re able to solve problems faster than others,” Noah Lyles noted. His distinct viewpoint frequently conflicted with the usual academic setting, making it challenging for him to blend in. He struggled throughout this time in his life to strike a balance between his artistic side and the responsibilities of his studies.

Noah Lyles never gives up on his desires

Lyles turned his attention to track and field after his asthma was under control. He found a new way to channel his energy which soon became part of his life. This shift was more than just a change in activity level; it was also essential to his ability to maintain his academic standing. He was able to better manage his time and duties because of the discipline needed for training and competition.

Lyles never gave up on his aspirations to be an artist, even though he decided to pursue athletics. “I still have a deep desire to create art, but my visions have started growing in different directions,” he remarked. For him, juggling these two passions has been an ongoing process. Even if track and field took precedence over his previous interests, the creative spark that initially inspired him to pursue manga artwork remains fierce.

The Olympian’s greatest artistic effort to date has been redefining what his sport can be, even though he still finds time to paint, draw, and compose music. Among the most renowned Olympic sports is track and field. However, track meets, especially in the US, do not draw the same level of popularity as more major sports over the four years between events. Lyles believes that winning gold medals and setting world records is insufficient; he also wants to improve and revolutionize his sport’s culture and business.

“We have to break away from the Olympic model, meaning that we can’t put all of our eggs in that basket,” the 26-year-old continued. “We have to find other ways to modernize the sport and give it more sufficient legs to stand on.” However, Noah Lyles is the first man to accomplish the sprint treble at a World Championships since Usain Bolt in 2015. He also holds the bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic 200 m.