Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at Tokyo Olympics. Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on how she struggled with being seen as a role model too soon in her athletics career.

This came after her campaign at the Rio Olympics, where she finished as a semi-finalist while still in high school.

Following her Olympic debut, a documentary was produced about her life as both an Olympian and a high school senior.

This included her journey through a regular school day, ending with an indoor training session filmed in the halls of her school.

She was then interviewed about the influence she wanted to have on the world and how she planned to influence the next generation.

However, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone revealed that the questions left her internally conflicted, as she herself still felt like a teenager who needed guidance.

In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith, released in January 2024, she opened up about this disconnect:

“Inside, I felt like I still needed good role models to help me through all these wild changes, yet everyone was already looking at me differently, expecting me to share wisdom I did not yet possess.”

“I felt like the words I was sharing were what I assumed people wanted to hear.

Much of it was advice I didn’t even take for myself but was quick to give others.

For the most part, it seemed to help and encourage people too.

That surprised me, but I regret that it didn’t always come from a genuine place,” she added.

Although a young Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was once overwhelmed by fear and pressure, her journey changed when she turned to faith during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American hurdler has also achieved success in her career, becoming a four-time Olympic gold medalist. Besides this, she has broken the world record in the women’s 400m hurdles on six occasions.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on being inspired by female athletes who came before her

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at GST Philadelphia.

(Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on how she was inspired by the successful women who came before her and gave her something to look up to.

During an interview with World Athletics released on the occasion of International Women’s Day, she addressed being inspired and becoming a role model among several important topics in May 2025, stating (1:06 onwards):

“I think just being able to see people you know, women who have come before me and just seeing what they’ve been able to accomplish has just inspired me…

I just want to continue to be that role model for the young girl who’s watching who might be 8 years old like I was and aspiring to be on that stage.

McLaughlin-Levrone shared how she carried herself both publicly and personally, wanting to live in a way that her younger self would admire.

About the author

Abhiruchi Rout

Abhiruchi is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in Athletics, Swimming, Gymnastics, and Wrestling among other sports.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has over 2 years of prior experience in the sports journalism sector.

Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are Abhiruchi’s favorite Olympians.

She began following them in 2018, and seeing their transformation from initially not wanting to play together to becoming the world’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair inspires her.

Track & Field excites Abhiruchi the most because of the diverse range of events involved in it.

Neeraj Chopra’s historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics stands as her favorite Olympic moment as it was India’s first gold in track and field events.

She feels that focus should be placed on up-and-coming athletes to increase the coverage of Olympic sports during the off-season.

Abhiruchi applies journalistic principles learnt while pursuing her Bachelor’s degree by prioritizing first-hand information, cross-checking via multiple reliable sources, and fact-checking for accuracy.

She follows reputed sources and numerous established athletes on social media platforms to remain updated.

When not reporting, Abhiruchi enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.