“Regret that it didn’t come from a genuine place”- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up on her struggles with being seen as role model

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once reflected on how she struggled with being seen as a role model too soon in her athletics career. This came after her campaign at the Rio Olympics, where she finished as a semi-finalist while still in high school.

Following her Olympic debut, a documentary was produced about her life as both an Olympian and a high school senior. This included her through a regular school day, ending with an indoor training session filmed in the halls of her school. She was then interviewed about the influence she wanted to have on the world and how she planned to influence the next generation.

However, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone revealed that the questions left her internally conflicted as she herself still felt like a teenager who needed guidance. In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith, released in January 2024, she opened up about this disconnect, writing:

“Inside, I felt like I still needed good role models to help me through all these wild changes, yet everyone was already looking at me differently, expecting me to share wisdom I did not yet possess.”

“I felt like the words I was sharing were what I assumed people wanted to hear. Much of it was advice I didn’t even take for myself but was quick to give others. For the most part, it seemed to help and encourage people too. That surprised me, but I regret that it didn’t always come from a genuine place,” she added.

Although a young Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was once overwhelmed by fear and pressure, her journey changed when she turned to faith during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American hurdler has also achieved success in her career, becoming a four-time Olympic gold medalist. Besides this, she has broken the world record in the women's 400m hurdles on six occasions.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on being inspired by female athletes who came before her

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at GST Philadelphia. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on how she was inspired by the successful women, who came before her and gave her something to look up to.

During an interview of her with World Athletics released on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, she addressed being inspired and becoming a role model among several important topics in May 2025, stating (1:06 onwards):

“I think just being able to see people you know, women who have come before me and just seeing what they've been able to accomplish has just inspired me...I just want to continue to be that role model for the young girl who's watching who might be 8 years old like I was and aspiring to be on that stage.

McLaughlin-Levrone shared how she carried herself both publicly and personally, wanting to live in a way that her younger self would admire.