"My heart had been torn to pieces, was terrified of that happening again"- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recalled her fears of trusting Andre Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was hesitant to trust now husband Andre Levrone at the start of their relationship, which started in 2020. The four-time Olympic gold medalist claimed that her heart had been broken a year before meeting Andre and she was afraid that might happen again.

McLaughlin-Levrone met Andre through Instagram when she randomly found him in her follower list. The first thing that attracted her to the former NFL player was his connection with the faith, which the 25-year-old had gotten an idea about from his posts on Instagram.

A couple of weeks later, she received a DM from Andre, marking the start of their friendship first, and romantic relationship later. The couple met offline for the first month later after the exchange of messages when Andre traveled to Los Angeles.

Recounting their first date in her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith (published in January 2024), McLaughlin-Levrone wrote:

"When I reached him, he flashed a welcoming smile, extended his arm, and we executed the “church” side hug. As we sat down for dinner, our conversation just began to flow."

However, something seemed fishy to the Olympic runner.

"I liked this guy. Andre had a great sense of humor and truly seemed interested in what I had to say. As the meal progressed, I kept thinking, Where’s the flaw? What am I missing? Why is “Mr. Perfect” still single? Something must be wrong with him," she wrote.

The 25-year-old recalled her year-old heartbreak and was afraid of the same happening again in her new relationship.

"Less than a year earlier, my heart had been torn to pieces. I was terrified of that happening again. I couldn’t see any red flags in Andre, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they were there, lurking in the shadows. I hadn’t yet been in a relationship with a man who lived a life devoted to honoring God. I didn’t yet realize that was why I could trust Andre. Not because of who he was on his own but because of who God was making him to be," she added.

Faith eventually became the binding point for the couple, who are now two years into their happy married life.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had consulted a common friend as well to look for 'flaws' in husband Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Wanda Diamond League 2024 Final - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in action (Source: Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone liked her husband Andre Levrone since the moment she scrolled through his Instagram profile. However, it was turning out to be a 'too good to be true' moment for the world record holder, who then consulted a friend who was a batchmate of Andre at the University of Virginia.

"'Okay, girl, just be real with me,' I said in my Instagram message to my friend. 'What’s the flaw? What am I missing?'," she wrote.

The response from her friend was a positive one, also conforming the single status of Andre.

"'He’s a good guy,' she said. 'Passionate about football, his family, and the Lord.' And yes, he was in fact single," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added.

She would later get engaged to Andre less than a year later in August 2021 following the Tokyo Olympics, where she won her first Olympic gold medal while also breaking the world record in the 400m hurdles.