"I would wonder if my dad’s sickness was my fault" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recalled being terrified by the thought of losing her father 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once recalled feeling responsible for the ailment of her father Willie McLaughlin. The Olympian had lost her uncle shortly before her father underwent a heart transplant.

The four-time Olympic champion was born into an athletic family and impressed in track and field from her early childhood. Her father Willie is a former professional 400m sprinter while her mother Mary has remained a 2:12 half-miler at Cardinal O’Hara High School.

Willie attended Manhattan College in New York and earned three NCAA All-American honors in the 400m flat distances. He finished as the semifinalist at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials and had an impressive personal best of 45.30.

The 61-year-old had to undergo a heart transplant in 2020 after the passing of his brother Russell, who died from heart and lung failure, and when he notified his daughter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone about the same, she was left worrying for his life.

"My uncle Russ’s death hit close to home in part because he reminded me of my father. So when my dad called on that humid Arizona day to tell me about his failing heart, my emotions began swirling with worry that I was about to lose my father as well. It was the most terrifying feeling," she recalled in her 2024 memoir 'Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith'

The 25-year-old added that she had begun to hold herself responsible for his illness at times but knew she was wrong.

"From time to time, I would wonder if my dad’s sickness was my fault. Maybe I’d somehow displeased God, and this was my punishment. I knew that wasn’t right. God wasn’t the harsh, unloving judge I’d once assumed he was," she added

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was ‘crushed’ after losing one of her biggest fans, her uncle

Wanda Diamond League 2024 Final - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in action (Source: Getty)

Before her father Willie McLaughlin underwent a heart transplant, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was gutted on losing her uncle Russel, whom she called one of her biggest fans. Recalling his demise in her memoir, the 25-year-old wrote:

"His passing crushed me. For years, his encouragement on and off the track made me proud to perform and represent the McLaughlin name. I looked forward to hearing his feedback after meets and competitions."

Following her collegiate record performance in the 400m flat at the University of Kentucky in 2018, her uncle had predicted she would become the best in the world.

"After I broke the collegiate record in the 400-meter hurdles, he predicted I would be “the best in the world.” In the weeks before his passing, I prayed extra hard that God would spare his life, selfishly wanting him to watch me perform at the 2021 Olympic Games. But the Lord took him before Tokyo," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added

McLaughlin-Levrone eventually became the best in the world shortly after his passing, breaking the world record twice in 2021 while winning two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics. She has since broken the record four more times and won four gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships.