"Track was never a fight in my house" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on being coached by her father and growing up in an athletic family

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once shared that the track was never something she and her family members fought about. Rather, athletics was a part of their lives, and her father, Willie even coached her in the early days.

Missing most of the 2023 season due to a knee injury, McLaughlin-Levrone returned to the track in 2024. She won several races in the buildup to the Paris Games and even clocked the fastest 400m hurdles time at the US Olympic trials. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she touched the finish line in 50.37s to win the 400m hurdles event and broke her world record for the sixth time.

Hailing from a family of former athletes, McLaughlin-Levrone once shared that she never had to face any obstruction at home regarding competing in the track. It was as normal as dinner and church, as noted in her book "Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith".

"Track was never a fight in my house. It was as much a part of my family as dinner and church," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote.

Her father, who ran the 800m in high school, was the Olympian's first and only coach. She further shared how Willie had a huge role in shaping her career:

"My dad was my first and only coach until middle school, but he was far from the intense, obsessive, critical type. He was the opposite. Soft-spoken. Encouraging. He never pushed me. If I had to use one word to describe his coaching philosophy, it would be simple. He never complicated the sport. His only strategy was for me to run faster than everyone else.

Dad's inspiration was Muhammad Ali's famous phrase, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." To me, "be the butterfly" in Ali's phrase meant quickness, lightness, freedom, and joy."

The four-time Olympic gold medalist's mother Mary also ran the 400m in high school.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's father Willie once opened up about recognizing the talent of the hurdler when she was six

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone running the 4x400m relay at the Olympic Games Paris 2024: (Source: Getty)

Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone became the youngest American track and field athlete to qualify for the Games (Rio Olympics) in 40 years. In an interview from July 21, 2024, her father Willie shared how she stood out with her athletic prowess on the track, ahead of her older siblings, Morgan and Taylor McLaughlin (via NJ.com):

"We had had our older daughter and our older son run, and they were very gifted. Then we saw Sydney run at 6 years old, and we just knew, okay, the other ones are very good but this one is a little different. It was just obvious."

At the Rio Games, the 25-year-old placed fifth in the 400m hurdles semifinal heat and failed to qualify for the finals.