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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on her struggles with self-worth during her early years. Owing to the lack of self-esteem, she believed she wasn’t beautiful enough and lacked confidence.
Being on social media also didn’t help as the platform distorted her self-image and caused her to question her worth, femininity and identity. During this period of low self-esteem, she came across profiles of women who looked nothing like her but were liked by boys. This only added to her insecurity.
In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on this period of vulnerability. She mentioned about struggling with self-worth, adding:
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“From a young age, I struggled to believe I was truly beautiful. Self-confidence didn’t come naturally to me, and it wasn’t something I was encouraged to cultivate. I also hadn’t yet learned the healthy view of self-worth and purpose that is found in Christ. For that reason, I was easily influenced by other people’s affirmation or rejection of me.”
She then went on to mention how social media played a role in her seeking outside validation.
“On this social media platform, I saw hundreds of young women who looked nothing like me. Yet these were the women guys liked to look at…Was I not a real woman? Was I lacking properties of what made a true woman?” she reflected on the question she asked herself during those days.
Part of this also came from an experience with a high school ex-boyfriend who rejected her. This happened when she tried to reconcile their relationship after falling short at the 2019 World Championships, where she settled for silver in the 400m hurdles.
However, rediscovering her faith during the COVID-19 pandemic played a crucial role in helping the star hurdler recognize her self-worth and move forward in life. The now 400m hurdles world record holder continues to give credit to God through both highs and lows.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflects on how people respond to her faith in sports world
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on how people responded to her and husband Andre’s faith in the sporting community including athletes and media. During her appearance on the Life and Books and Everything podcast in January 2025, the four-time Olympic gold medalist expressed her thoughts, stating (42:50 onwards):
“I think you get a little mix of everything. There's always going to be people who don't like your message, don't like what you stand for and they kind of make it clear. But, we always try to be respectful and polite and loving to those people anyways.
“It's been actually surprising just to see, even within the sport, you know, other athletes who and Andre [Levrone] can attest you just want to have conversations about their faith, about the Lord, about where they're walking and having questions, which has been really encouraging.”
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone further shared that when it comes to media interactions, she and her husband are selective, sometimes turning down offers that conflict with their Christian beliefs and values.
