“Everything was new” - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on life-changing move and mother’s 'sacrifice' for her career after going pro

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on her mother’s sacrifice in supporting her track career by relocating to Los Angeles with her after she turned professional in June 2018. This move came after the former Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes decided to become McLaughlin-Levrone's full-time coach in Los Angeles.

Owing to this, she had to now fully focus on her training as a professional athlete. However, since she had just started earning significant money from her sponsorship deal with New Balance and didn’t know how to drive, her parents decided that her mother would accompany her. Meanwhile, her father stayed in New Jersey to look after her younger brother Ryan, who was completing his senior year of high school.

In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on her mother Mary’s sacrifice as she left her job for her daughter’s career. She stated:

“To help with the transition to Los Angeles and make sure I settled into my professional career, my mom left her job at Rutgers University and moved with me to LA...Although that was a tough decision for my parents at the time, to be across the country from each other, their sacrifice allowed them to be present where they were needed most.”

She then opened up on the major transition she experienced after turning professional, describing it as a time full of possibility, adding:

“We were like two kids on vacation. We went to the beach. Checked off some tourist attractions. Bought my mom a new car. I don’t know if life has ever been as full of possibility as it was in Fall 2018. Everything was new…The daily routine was new: no schoolwork, no team meetings. Nothing but training and spending that New Balance paycheck.”

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up on her approach for every race

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at Paris Olympics. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on her mindset while competing following her gold-medal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She explained that despite her experience in the event, she approached each race with a fresh perspective.

In an interaction with Olympics.com in August 2024, she said:

“I treat every meet like its own. So, this was my first time in Paris racing for this Olympic gold. I was just treating it like this was my first time here, and trying to go for it the same way.”

The race saw McLaughlin-Levrone not only win her second consecutive Olympic gold in the 400m hurdles but also break her own world record, which she had set just over a month earlier at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Notably, this was the sixth time she had broken the global record, with the first time at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

The American hurdles star ran a sensational 50.37s to finish ahead of compatriot Anna Cockrell (51.87s) and Netherlands’ Femke Bol (52.15s).