"They were ruthless" - When Noah Lyles opened up about getting bullied over yellow teeth in school

Noah Lyles once recalled that he was bullied in school over his teeth that had turned yellow due to the medicine he had been taking for asthma. The American sprinter also struggled with ADD and dyslexia during his childhood.

Lyles is one of the fastest sprinters in history, and the reigning Olympic and World Champion in the men’s 100m dash. Before conquering these titles, he conquered numerous diseases in his childhood and continues to manage his asthma.

Speaking about his struggles in an interview with Time in June 2024, the American claimed his teeth had gone yellow due to the medications he had been taking and faced bullying in school.

“They were ruthless,” he said. “An emotional beating, that’s the stuff that really breaks you down.”

Lyles' breathing issues popped up again at the 2024 Paris Olympics when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 before the 200m finals. He chose to compete nevertheless, finishing third behind Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek before lying flat out on track as he struggled to breathe.

While the 27-year-old withdrew from the rest of the world, he had already won the 100m gold and shown the world that a disease couldn't define them.

“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!,” he wrote after the win on X.

The six-time World Champion returned to winning ways on the track in January, running 6.62s in an indoor 60m dash. He also won his fourth consecutive 60m title at the New Balance Grand Prix in 6.52s.

---

“I can't remember a lot of nights when I wasn't at the hospital” - Noah Lyles on asthma

Noah Lyles at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Noah Lyles battled a vicious persistent cough from the age of 3, and two years later, he was diagnosed with a reactive airway disease that eventually turned out to be asthma. The American sprinter often ended up in hospital due to the wheezing and revealed last year that most of his childhood memories were of being in the hospital.

"There wasn’t a time that I can remember when asthma was not an issue,” Noah Lyles said in Netflix’s documentary Sprint. “I can’t remember a lot of nights when I wasn’t at the hospital getting medication to just try and calm down the episodes."

According to Lyles’ mother, the sprinter used to be in bed for two straight days after a race but his heart wanted “to run really fast.” Lyles eventually did it and is now the fastest 200m runner in American history.