Noah Lyles has always been open about the health issues he faces. Whether it is his physical health or mental health. After his 100m victory, he opened up about his problems in X. He said, “I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression.” Then, he went on to add how all that didn’t stop him from making a name for himself. “But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!”

Thus, he is an inspiration to a lot of athletes who are suffering from the same. The line that what you suffer from does not define you applies most to the ones competing at the Paralympics. They are the ones who amaze the world with their skills and talent despite their issues. One of the most successful athletes in these games, recently talked about how Lyles has helped him a lot.

Noah Lyles and four-time Paralympic medalist Nick Mayhugh share a close relationship. They now both work under Lance Brauman. Mayhugh has always spoken about how much of an inspiration Lyles is to him and how he helps him with everything.

He said, “He’s always there when I’m frustrated with my training or when we’re talking about the Paralympics or the classification system — anything that is frustrating, visibly or not.” Mayhugh, who was recently shifted from the T-37 class to T-38, called Lyles for help as he wanted a better environment to train in. That’s how he found Brauman, who has coached him ever since.

The move from T37 to T38 came after the Tokyo Olympics. It meant that he would be competing with people who have lesser levels of disability. He was not happy with this decision and felt that the process should have been way more transparent. But he’s not the one to shy away from competitions. “At the end of the day, it’s the same goal. It’s something I’ve been against my entire life, just another thing to overcome,” he said.

Looking at his achievements, there’s no reason for him to not be confident at all. In fact, some might even look at his career as a Paralympian and compare it to Noah Lyles’ own career.

Noah Lyles and Nick Mayhugh’s similar career ambitions and achievements which took the world by awe

Nick Mayhugh started his career in soccer. He played for the US Paralympic team that won the bronze medal at the 2019 Parapan American Games. His performances were rewarded as he won the 2019 US Soccer Player of the year with a disability. He would then transition into track and have an absolute mind boggling Tokyo Paralympic where he won four medals, including golds, in 100m T37 and 200 T37. His complaints that he was only shifted because he was too fast for the category are completely legitimate. In his new category, he would win a bronze medal at the World Championship held in 2023. However, he missed out on a medal at the 100m final in the Paris Paralympics finishing 7th.

Noah Lyles, on the other hand, has also claimed in the Everybody Wants to Be Us podcast that had he not been a sprinter, he believes he had the skill set to be a soccer player. His impressive Paris haul is quite similar to Mayhugh’s in Tokyo, although not as impressive with a gold in 100m and bronze in 200m. The fact is, Lyles is still considered the best sprinter in the country. But Mayhugh in his best category, could really give Lyles a run for his money and win many more accolades. Now that they both train together, it’s obvious that they’ve raced each other too. It’ll be interesting to see if someone could get hands on any taping of that.