"Just being able to fool around without consequences is exciting"- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals her retirement bucket list with husband Andre

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently opened up about the plans she and her husband, former NFL player Andre Levrone, have for life after her retirement. While retirement is still a long way off, the 26-year-old Olympian has already carved out nearly a half-decade of dominance, with multiple Olympic and World Championship titles to her name. Her prowess on the track has firmly established her as one of the best in the sport.

At the recently concluded World Athletics Championships, McLaughlin-Levrone made the strategic choice to skip the 400m hurdles and focus on the 400m flat. She delivered a historic performance, clocking 47.78 s, the fastest women’s 400m in 40 years, to claim gold. Despite being in the early stages of her 400m flat career, she has already recorded the second-fastest time ever in the event.

Fresh off her championship campaign, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke with Bodega Track about the things she wants to do once she retires. During her competitive career, she has had to take extreme precautions to avoid injury.

"I want to go skiing or snowboarding. That’s like the number one thing. Me and my husband have talked about it, and as soon as I’m done, that’s on the list. Even things like running football routes with him, he played football, so I’ve always wanted to see if I’d be good, but if I got hurt, I’d be in so much trouble. So even just being able to fool around without consequences is exciting.” (2:57 onwards)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added,

We call it, my coach calls it, the ‘bubble wrap stage.’ I can’t do anything that might hurt me in any way, shape, or form."

McLaughlin-Levrone and Andre tied the knot in 2022 at Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, Virginia, after dating for two years.

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All About Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s World Athletics Championships Campaign

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with 4x400m relay team at World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 - Source: Getty

McLaughlin-Levrone delivered a historic performance at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, running 47.78 seconds in the 400m flat. The time broke the 42-year-old championship record, and was the fastest ever by an American, and the second-fastest in history.

Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino finished second in 47.98 seconds, while Salwa Eid Naser claimed bronze with a season-best 48.19 seconds.

Beyond her individual title, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also anchored the USA team to win gold in the 4x400m relay. The team set a championship record of 3:16.61.