"I'd damaged relationships with people I cared about" – When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on how avoiding tough conversations affected her life

Decorated hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once expressed that her avoidance of going through tough conversations impacted her negatively in life. The athlete disclosed a challenging aspect of her life through her book.

The four-time World Championship medalist's book, “Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith,” was released on January 30, 2024. Through her book, McLaughlin-Levrone revealed her interest in running for hurdles, her rapid advancement in the sport, and the route she adopted to break the world record in 400-meter hurdles.

The gold medalist in 400-meter hurdles from the World Youth Championships said that by avoiding difficult conversations, she faced misunderstandings in her relationships, which led to emotional distance and strain. In her book, she recounted a time when she avoided having a discussion with her prior coach, Joanna, about coaching changes, which negatively impacted their relationship.

She recounted that the second time her avoidance took a toll was when she allowed her father to tell her older brother, Taylor, about the coaching changes instead of doing it herself since her brother also worked with Joanna. She noted:

“I’d messed up. In order to avoid difficult conversations, I’d damaged relationships with people I cared about. Of the many lessons I learned in 2020, that was one of the toughest. You can’t run from hard conversations. You can’t hide from reality, even if you’re afraid.”

She continued:

“If you want to compete at the highest level, you’ve got to make hard choices, but you’ve got to handle them the right way. This means having integrity. It was my responsibility to be honest with people I cared about and be honest about where my head was at moving forward.”

Along with these topics, she also shed light on going through a tough period in her life, including facing anxiety and tension during her debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics. McLaughlin-Levrone's obstacles of facing rejection from an ex-partner and facing bullying in high school are some of the personal topics which have also been covered by the athlete.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on the significance of winning gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 13 - Source: Getty

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles and 4×400-meter relay. She repeated the same feat in the 2024 Paris Olympics, etching her name in the annals of track and field history. She also set a new world record in Paris in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 50.37 seconds. During her interview with the Olympics regarding her victory, she said:

“It hasn't really fully hit me yet. Blessed, honestly. And excited. It's a surreal moment. But now an amazing, amazing opportunity. And I'm grateful.”

McLaughlin-Levrone represented the University of Kentucky during her successful collegiate career. In the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 400 meters, the three-time Olympian set the world junior record by finishing the race in 50.36 seconds.