"I'd tell myself it's for building my brand but it gave me a dopamine hit"- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recalled turning to Instagram for attention

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once opened up about struggling with self-confidence during the early years of her career. The American hurdler had started looking for attention on social media platforms before eventually realizing it was futile.

McLaughlin-Levrone shot to international fame at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing as a semifinalist in the women's 400m hurdles at 16. Five years later, the American dominated the event at the Tokyo Olympics, running a world record of 51.46s to win the gold medal.

The 25-year-old defended her title at the 2024 Paris Olympics, running a world record time of 50.37s for her second Olympic gold medal. She had broken the record three times between the Tokyo and Paris Games.

While McLaughlin-Levrone has been one of the most talked-about athletes in the sport, she has always remained less talkative and shy. The four-time Olympic champion has acknowledged struggling with self-confidence, once leading her to seek affirmation on social media. She wrote in her 2024 memoir "Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith":

"From a young age, I struggled to believe I was truly beautiful. Self-confidence didn’t come naturally to me, and it wasn’t something I was encouraged to cultivate. For that reason, I was easily influenced by other people’s affirmation or rejection of me. That’s unhealthy for any person, but especially a teenage girl with Instagram.

I would tell myself it was “for building my brand” and that the followers would help my marketability. That’s not completely wrong, but that’s not why I did it at all. It gave me a dopamine hit. The likes, comments, and notifications rushing in, I craved the attention even if it was just for the day."

"I was so empty and broken from the trials of life that I was willing to accept any sort of adoration, even from a stranger," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote. "It never lasted, though. Not every picture was a hit. Followers came and went. One minute you’re the craze, and the next the online crowd couldn’t care less that your dog died."

The 25-year-old recalled turning to Instagram and spending her entire day on a good photo shoot only to find out that the dopamine hit never lasted.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone met her husband Andre Levrone on Instagram

Christian Dior: Outside Arrivals - Paris Fashion Week - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with husband Andre Levrone (Source: Getty)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and her husband Andre Levrone's relationship started on Instagram in 2020. The former NFL player had followed the hurdler, and after noticing him among her followers, she acknowledged liking his personality based on his posts.

The 25-year-old posted a selfie one day with the caption, "attention," a reference to the song she had been listening to, prompting a response from Andre:

“You have my attention. How can I get yours?"

The couple got engaged in August 2021 before tying the knot in a Vineyard wedding in May 2022.