“It was agonizing”- Noah Lyles recalls his health struggles as a kid as he visits the Children’s National Hospital after the Paris Olympics

After a successful campaign at the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles recently visited the Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C to spend some time with the young patients. The sprinter has been vocal about his struggles with his health over the years, and used the opportunity to share his story with the kids.

Lyles’ has previously disclosed that he struggles with asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression. In an episode of Netflix’s SPRINT, the athlete stated that he wasn't allowed to participate in sports until he was seven or eight, and spent many nights in the hospital dealing with asthma episodes. He has also opened up about taking antidepressants for his struggles with his mental health.

In his visit to the Children's National Hospital, Noah Lyles recounted his struggles to FOX 5, saying,

“I remember those times when I wanted to play sports and the answer was ‘well, let's just make sure you're healthy first’. It was agonizing to hear every time, I wanted to make sure that kids who had a life like mine in the beginning or even worse, knew that it's not always going to be like this.”

In a message to the young patients, the sprinter said,

“No matter your difficulties, life doesn't determine who you will be, you determine who you’ll be. So, why not you?”

At the Children's National Hospital, Lyles played various games with the kids, including a spin-the-wheel challenge and a plastic cup race in the hospital hallway.

Noah Lyles on opening up about his struggles with depression

Noah Lyles on sharing his struggles with depression (Image Source: Getty)

Noah Lyles has been open about his struggles with depression, and after his bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics, the sprinter revealed why he is so vocal about his mental health.

Speaking to Today.com, Lyles had stated that he hoped his platform would help him reach somebody going through the same things as him.

“As I got more and more popular, I got more and more attention, people watching me. So I feel that I was able to reach an even bigger audience. I know that there’s somebody out there who is probably struggling (with) the same issues I was and I want them to know that there is ways to feel better. They don’t have to keep feeling that way.”

At the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles stormed to gold in the 100m, but settled for bronze in the 200m, his speciality event. After the 200m finals, the sprinter revealed that he had been diagnosed with Covid 19 a couple of days before the race.