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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has revealed how watching Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards-Ross at the 2008 Olympics inspired her Olympic dreams.
Being only eight years old at the time Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone now a two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion remembers the exact moment she realized what her future held.
The year was 2008 and she was glued to her television mesmerized by the women’s 4x400-meter relay final at the Beijing Olympics.
What she saw that day—a thrilling race featuring American track icons Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards-Ross—lit a fire within her, fueling a dream that would shape her entire career.
In her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, McLaughlin-Levrone opens up about how this singular race changed her life forever.
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The excitement of watching Felix and Richards-Ross dominate the track was overwhelming for the young girl sitting in her family’s living room.
"I was eight years old, sitting on a small stool in our living room, enamored by the spectacle of the women’s 4-by-400-meter relay," she wrote, recalling the awe she felt as she watched her future role models in action as reviewed by Essentially Sports.
The tension in the race was palpable. The U.S. team was not leading when Felix took the baton for the second leg, but she made a quick surge, propelling her team into first place.
But just as fast as they had gained the lead, the Russian team took it back, leaving the final leg in Sanya Richards-Ross’ hands. It was Richards-Ross who delivered a stunning finish, closing the gap and securing victory for the United States in a nail-biting final stretch.
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For young Sydney, this was the moment that her Olympic aspirations were born. She couldn’t contain her excitement.
"I jumped up and cheered, pumping my fists in the air," McLaughlin-Levrone recalled in her autobiography. The race was more than just a thrilling event—it was a vision of her future.
"I’m going to do that… I’m going to win a gold medal at the Olympics," she told her mother right then and there.
That dream stayed with her, driving her through years of intense training, early mornings, and sacrifices. Like any journey to greatness, it was not without its obstacles.
As McLaughlin-Levrone pushed herself to reach the highest levels of her sport, she experienced moments of doubt and fear, feelings that almost derailed her dream entirely.
The first real test came when she qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials before even finishing high school. It should have been a moment of triumph, but instead, anxiety and self-doubt crept in.
"Can I please pull out?" she remembered asking her father, overwhelmed by the pressure.
She did manage to push through and secure a spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but her nerves got the best of her there as well.
"Partway through my semifinal, my will to win left me. Instead of my usual surge in the last seconds, I let up," McLaughlin-Levrone admitted, reflecting on her Rio experience.
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At just 16 years old, the mental toll of competing on the world’s biggest stage was too much, and she wasn’t ready.
But McLaughlin-Levrone’s journey did not end there. With a fierce determination to prove herself, she went back to the drawing board.
Four years later, at the Tokyo Olympics, she returned stronger, not just physically but mentally.
In 2021, she stepped onto the track as the world record holder in the 400m hurdles and made history once again by shattering her own record in the Olympic final.
However, the Tokyo Games offered something even more personal for McLaughlin-Levrone.
The girl who once sat on her living room stool, dreaming of running beside Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards-Ross, had the chance to live that dream. In the 2021 Olympics, McLaughlin-Levrone competed in the 4x400-meter relay—this time with Felix as one of her teammates.
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Together, they clinched the gold, and McLaughlin-Levrone’s childhood dream of running alongside her idol was realized in the most spectacular way.
"It was surreal," McLaughlin-Levrone shared in later interviews.
"Running alongside Allyson Felix in the 4x400m final felt like everything had come full circle."
Reflecting on her path from a wide-eyed child to Olympic champion, McLaughlin-Levrone knows that her success is not just about physical talent but also about the mental fortitude and faith she is developed over the years.
Her book, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, delves into how she overcame her fears and anxieties, emphasizing that her journey to Olympic greatness was as much about self-discovery and personal growth as it was about breaking records.
Today, McLaughlin-Levrone is not just a two-time Olympic gold medalist but also a source of inspiration for the next generation of athletes.
Just as Felix and Richards-Ross inspired her, she is now a role model for young athletes like six-year-old Alaya Armbrister, who recently told McLaughlin-Levrone during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, “I watch you, and I like to watch you.”
McLaughlin-Levrone sees herself in these young fans, and she’s grateful for the chance to inspire them.
"It’s amazing to be able to pass that torch and give young girls someone to look up to, just like I had in Allyson and Sanya."
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