“It makes a huge difference” - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on how her husband being an NFL player helped her during hardships

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a generational talent and has written her name into the history books with her performances in the 400m hurdles. With her busy schedule as an athlete, the American had once opened up about how her husband's experience as an NFL player made a huge difference in her life.

McLaughlin-Levrone and her husband met when he slid into her DMs in 2020. The two quickly became close, and went Instagram official later that same year. The couple got engaged in 2021, after the hurdler's gold-medal-winning campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, and were married less than a year later in 2022.

Levrone himself was an athlete, having played in the NFL, and in an interview with Women's Health Magazine, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once opened up about how he understood her lifestyle, saying,

"I'm so grateful for Andre because he understands the athlete life, the day-to-day, what it takes, and all the little things. We're very similar just in how we're wired because of that, which helps us understand each other. It makes a difference—a huge difference. Just being able to be on the same page about a lot of these things and what it takes mentally.”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on her competition routine with Andre Levrone

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Wanda Diamond League 2024 Final - Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has herself said that her husband is her biggest hype man when she's on the track and the former NFL player is well accustomed to her routine on the days when she has to compete.

The hurdler explained that she is usually locked in on race days, and Levrone stays out of her way and takes care of things that aren't track-related, to ensure that she can focus completely.

“We've definitely developed our routine and he understands when I'm locked in. It's nothing personal, just trying to stay super focused and so yeah, he takes care of certain things for me on race day, which I really appreciate so I can focus on what I got to do,” McLaughlin-Levrone told Women's Health for her July/August cover story.

For Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, all this support has paid off with yet another incredible season. The American’s 2024 saw her break her own world record at the U.S Olympic Trials to become the first woman under the 51-second barrier. She then bettered her own record at the Paris Olympics to successfully defend her title. She also won gold in the 4x400m, and post the Games her and Levrone took a trip to Greece to celebrate her success.