Olympic track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone knows what it feels like to win gold — but there is something she considers more precious than gold, according to Women’s Running.
She speaks regularly about her faith in God on social media and in interviews, saying that religion gives her the strength she needs to succeed.
What does Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone believe?
McLaughlin-Levrone is a longtime Christian who has wrapped her life around her faith, according to The Associated Press.
“For a long time, my identity was in track and field,” she told The Associated Press this summer. “But I realized that first and foremost, I’m a child of God. It set me free to run the race God has set out for me to run.”
McLaughlin-Levrone frequently discusses her faith on Instagram.
She prays before every race with her coach, her trainer and her husband, The Associated Press reported.
She strives to stay focused on her faith to combat the constant pressure that comes along with being a top athlete.
“That means being in the word, being in prayer, keeping that in the forefront and allowing that to be what centers my mind and not the outside voices of the world,” McLaughlin-Levrone told The Associated Press.
In January, McLaughlin-Levrone published a memoir titled “Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.” It tells the story of her entrance to the Olympics at age 16, winning world championships and taking Olympic gold home from Tokyo.
It also records a lifetime of spiritual progress, describing how faith helped her overcome both track hurdles and life obstacles, per Women’s Running.
“During (my track career,) I experienced profound grace. Freedom. Hope for the future. I hope all these things become true for you, too, as you join me on this journey,” McLaughlin-Levrone wrote in her book.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Olympics
McLaughlin-Levrone, 24, is part of a running-focused family. Both her parents competed in track at high levels, but she’s considered “the fast one,” according to Women’s Running.
She first went to the Olympics at age 16. Although she won no medals, “her potential was obvious,” according to Olympics.com.
Over the next several years, she continued to train and compete. She went reached a low point during the COVID-19 pandemic, but her faith helped her regroup, according to Today.
“I felt like I was running from God for years. That’s when I was like, ‘God, I surrender it to you. I don’t know what this looks like. I don’t know what it means. Just show me what you’re trying to show me,’” she told Today in January.
She said she has been winning ever since she turned her focus to God. She brought home two gold medals from the Tokyo Games in 2021.