"My heart wasn’t in it"- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about her training for her debut Olympic appearance as a teenager

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had opened up about training for her debut Olympic appearance as a 16-year-old athlete. The American athlete revealed that as she was preparing to compete at the quadrennial games, she felt burnt out by the pressure and huge anticipation.

McLaughlin-Levrone expressed how she began competing right from the high school season, which began in December, and she was still competing in the events leading up to the Rio Olympics in August. On the other hand, she revealed that she wanted to live her life like a normal teenager and enjoy her summer by doing fun activities.

However, as she was gearing up for the Olympics, she had to instill a staunch discipline to compete against some of the fastest athletes in the world. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about her experience of preparing for the Rio Olympics in her memoir 'Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.' The American athlete revealed that even though she would go for her practice sessions regularly, she wasn't fully immersed in the process.

Even though her parents and coach noticed her lack of discipline on the track, they did not force her into any aspect of training.

"I did go to the track nearly every day, but my heart wasn’t in it. I think my parents and coaches saw my lack of discipline, but they didn’t push me or try to micromanage my food and training. I’m grateful they let me be a kid (as much as that is possible when you’re headed to the Olympics). I probably would have pushed back with all kinds of teenage emotions if they’d demanded too much from me," she wrote.

"They seemed genuinely happy that I was on the team and had no expectations for me once I made it to Rio. I believe they understood the weight of this moment. Too much importance placed on your performance at the wrong time can derail you from wanting to pursue it again at some point in the future," she added.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on her parent's influence on her track career

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 15 - Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone grew up in an athletic family with both her parents being athletes. She spoke about the influence of her father on her athletics career in an interview with Jesus Calling Podcast.

The American athlete revealed how her father never forced her into the sport and was always encouraging ever since she was a young athlete.

"I think my parents, I credit them so much for how they handled my young years. They didn’t want to overwhelm me with rigorous training at a young age. They really wanted me to grow and develop number one, my body, and number two my love for the sport naturally. Not because they wanted to force me into anything, not because I had some coach that wanted me to go win Nationals. It was very much so, 'If you love this, if you want to do this, great.'" she said.

Furthermore, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone revealed that her father stressed more on developing the right running mechanics and style ever since a young age, which had a profound impact on her in her developing years.