"That's an opportunity to show how genuine your faith is" - Sydney McLaughlin on her mindset on overcoming obstacles

Sydney McLaughlin is without a doubt the most successful athlete in the women's 400m hurdles event. A two-time Olympic gold-medalist and three-time World Champion reinvented the world of hurdling, when she became the first woman to break the 52-second barrier in 2021.

A little over a year later, she bettered her own record, dipping under 51 seconds to become the first and only woman to achieve this feat. Such athletic prowess comes at a cost, and in a recent appearance on the Dream Check podcast McLaughlin broke down the secret to her success.

Guest-starring on the podcast alongside husband Andre Levrone, she spoke of how faith in God has helped her overcome obstacles in her life. In an Instagram video shared by @dreamcheckpodcast, Sydney McLaughlin said:

“First Peter 1 talks about just the joy that we can have in our trials and tribulations because it's an opportunity to show our genuineness in our faith. We're not promised in this Christian life that we're not gonna have trials and tribulations. That's actually the one thing we are promised.”

McLaughlin goes on to say that instead of looking at obstacles as an inconvenience, she finds it as an opportunity to prove her faith.

“It's just a joy and an honor to be able to withstand those," McLaughlin said. "That's an opportunity to show how genuine your faith is. When you push through those things regardless of how it may affect you, I know that in this I am proving to I'd that I truly do love him.”

“And how I stay submitted and obedient, and it's going to be able to prove and show to the world that Christ is working in me," she added. "Because the normal man would quit, but for you that's an opportunity with perseverance to withstand the trials that you have."

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Sydney McLaughlin’s outstanding career

Sydney McLaughlin hails from a sporting family, and while she was successful academically as a child, she took up running at a young age. Results followed soon after, and McLaughlin set multiple World Junior records. She qualified for the 2016 Olympics as a 15-year-old, becoming the youngest American to achieve the feat since 1980.

In 2018, Sydney McLaughlin forfeited her collegiate eligibility to turn pro after just a year at the University of Kentucky. The next year witnessed her claiming a silver at the World Athletics Championships in the 400m hurdles, and a gold in the 4x400m relay.

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, McLaughlin avenged her loss, clinching gold with a world record time of 51.46. In the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, the talented athlete set another world record, completing the 400m hurdles in 50.68 seconds.