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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on how her return to school, Union Catholic High School, after making her Olympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games, came with challenges. At the age of 16, she represented the USA team in the 400m hurdles and finished as a semi-finalist in Rio.
She mentioned how she felt a shift in how her peers and classmates, some of whom she had once been close with, began to treat her. She recalled how this change in atmosphere led her to question whether she had changed or it was because of the tension common among teenage girls.
Reflecting on this in her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, released in early 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone admitted that she took it personally and how this negatively affected her, especially because the tension began to follow her onto the track, a space that had once been her escape.
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“Nonetheless, at the time, it felt like life-and-death. Wanting to be accepted by your peers and respected by your classmates is an major part of growing as a teenage girl,” she said.
“When I felt as though most people close to me now looked at me differently, I took it personally. Especially because some of those issues came even to the track, running became a burden, not the outlet it had previously been for me: a place to take a break from the grind of school and the ups and downs of relationships,” she added.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone further shared in her memoir that she considered quitting her school team and even refused to run the relay race at her final national meet as a senior, despite being asked to help the team win a national title due to the emotional strain that she was experiencing.
Following her graduation from high school, she joined the University of Kentucky, where she represented their track and field team for a year, before turning professional in June 2018. The American is now an accomplished athlete, with four Olympic gold medals throughout her career.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach Bobby Kersee expresses his disappointment over Grand Slam Track LA’s cancellation
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach, Bobby Kersee, expressed his disappointment after Grand Slam Track canceled its final meet scheduled in Los Angeles. Kersee shared that professional athletes are world-class and work incredibly hard. However, they are often let down by poor infrastructure and a lack of sponsorship.
While he acknowledged the potential of the Grand Slam Track brand, he warned that without reliable backing, athletes’ seasons and careers could be negatively affected. He shared his thoughts in an Instagram post, stating:
“Deeply disappointed about the cancellation of the L.A. Grand Slam track meet. Over four decades in this sport, I've watched too many promising initiatives fall short due to organizational challenges, particularly from lack of corporate sponsorship.”
“Our athletes are world-class. They train hard and deserve better. The Grand Slam brand is still very promising, but today, seasons and careers are impacted,” he added.
Kersee then called on athletes, coaches, brands, and sponsors to step up and support track and field by investing in it in a long-term and sustainable way.
