“Been in therapy since I was nine years old” - When Noah Lyles reflected on normalizing mental health conversations from young age

Noah Lyles once reflected on normalizing mental health conversations from a young age, despite the societal taboo surrounding such conversations. This comes naturally from Lyles’ upbringing as his family has always been open to communication and honest about their feelings.

Both Lyles’ mother, Keisha, and father, Kevin, were former track athletes but always gave their children the freedom to follow their own passions. Although the two divorced in 2008, they continue to support their kids in every way by being there for them.

Noah Lyles, who is known for his outspoken nature, revealed in an interview with Olympics.com in August 2023 that discussing mental health issues isn’t unusual for him because it has been a part of normal conversation since his childhood. He said:

“In our family, that’s our way of communicating. We’re very outspoken, very verbal with our emotions. And I guess that’s just how my mom brought us up. I’ve been in therapy since I was probably nine years old, so this is not foreign to me. It’s very normal, it’s natural. And so when talking about it with others, it’s just a normal part of conversation.”

Lyles discussed this in response to a question ahead of the 2023 World Athletics Championships. He also expressed his confidence in the interview on winning gold in both 100m and 200m events and breaking the record in the 4x100m relay.

He majorly lived up to his words, returning home with three golds, while his team in the 4x100m relay achieved a world-leading mark at the championships.

Noah Lyles reflects on how his journey of overcoming setbacks shaped his confidence

Noah Lyles at Paris Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)

Noah Lyles also opened up about how his life journey has shaped his confidence. The setbacks he faced, from health challenges like asthma to being told academic success wasn’t for him and hearing that he would never break records, all played a key role in making him the confident person he is today.

In a press conference held for USA track and field athletes before the Paris Olympics, Lyles reflected on this journey, saying (0:36 onwards):

“A lot of people look at my confidence and the line between confidence and cocky is so blurred, it’s all an opinion. But I usually say, if you've looked at my life and seen what I've had to go through, I've literally been told ‘you can't’ most of my life.”

“It's gaining that confidence each step of the way, building it up higher and higher and higher. So I can understand why some people can't see the vision that I see and I don't blame anybody for that, but don't disprove my vision just because I want to go after it. This is what I prayed for,” the now 27-year-old added.

Noah Lyles had a successful Paris Olympics campaign, in which he became the 100m Olympic champion and won a consecutive bronze in the 200m at the quadrennial games.