"We all have issues" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about her struggles in a bid to be "honest" with her fans

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once spoke about facing struggles like every other person. She wrote about such instances in her book "Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith," and later talked about the need to be authentic with her readers as that would help them relate to her story.

In her book, McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on her journey as an athlete, from opting to compete in the hurdles to reaching the pinnacle of the event. Despite facing several setbacks early in her career, which included missing out on qualifying for the finals at the Rio Olympics, she bounced back to break the world record multiple times, and remained unbeaten in the 400m hurdles since July 2019.

During an interview with Olympics.com in February 2024, the 27-year-old spoke about her decision to be honest about her struggles in her book. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said that could help a young reader, who faced similar struggles, relate to her and not feel alone.

“I wanted to intentionally be very honest, and I think that's what people relate to most, is the vulnerability and the authenticity. And I wanted to do it for the young person out there who maybe feels like they don't have anyone to relate to in a certain way of just like going through everyday struggles,” she said.

“And when you see athletes, entertainers, performers, it's hard to relate to them at times. But I want people to know that now we all struggle. We all have issues that we go through and battles that we're facing. And, you know, as a young girl, as a young woman, now, there are still things that you have to work through. And I think that authenticity is really what connects with people,” she added.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on failing to advance to the finals at the Rio Olympics

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone during IAAF meetings in Monaco - Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone faced a major setback during her debut appearance at the Olympic Games in Rio as she failed to advance to the finals. McLaughlin-Levrone, who was 16 back then, wrote about the incident in her book “Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith."

The American athlete expressed how she felt a sense of fear that ultimately had a profound impact on her performance.

"I was really afraid of what was going to happen. It seemed like the end of the world if I didn't get to the top of the podium. Honestly, I robbed myself of an opportunity. I don't know what would have happened, but I really didn't want to find out. I left Rio with the feeling that I had left something behind," she said.

After introspecting as well as improving her performance over the next four years, she returned to the Tokyo Olympics to win the gold medal in the women's 400m hurdles, even setting the world record.