"We were our own little team" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about growing up in a track-centered family

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once opened up about growing up in a track-centered family. The 25-year-old was born to athletic parents and is the third of four children raised by Willie and Mary McLaughlin. All three of her siblings were part of their high school track and field teams.

Like McLaughlin-Levrone, both her mother, Mary, and father, Willie, ran the 400m. Willie McLaughlin is a three-time NCAA All-American and a former Olympic Trials qualifier. He was the one who introduced Mc-Laughlin Levrone to track and field.

In an interview with USA Track and Field in May 2024, the Olympic gold medalist shared that track and field has always been a central part of her family. Growing up, the four siblings often participated in AAU meets, running unattached and without official uniforms. She fondly recalled how much they enjoyed the experience, calling the track “a staple in our household”.

"Oh, yes, our family loves track and field. Yeah, um, it's cool. Honestly, like that was our thing growing up, the AAU meets, you know, we were our own team, so we ran unattached. So you would have the teams like, you know, in their uniforms. It was just the four of us going out there and competing in a bunch of events," she said (4:48 onwards).

“So my dad was our coach and stuff, and my mom would have the tent, the snacks, all the things. And we loved it honestly. You know, we were our own little team, and yeah, track is a staple in our household," McLaughlin-Levrone added.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s eldest sister, Morgan McLaughlin, competed as a sprint hurdler and long jumper at St. Peter’s University in New Jersey. Taylor McLaughlin, the second sibling, ran the 400-meter hurdles at the University of Michigan. The youngest, Ryan, was a sprint hurdler and shot putter in high school.

---

When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about how her family and faith anchored her early life

Prefontaine Classic - Source: Getty

Today, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone stands as one of the top track athletes in the world and holds the world record in the 400m hurdles, which she set at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In her memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, released in early 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote about how deeply faith and family shaped her life.

"My parents believed that God had a plan for my life. No matter how busy our lives were, church was always a priority. If I had a soccer match on a Sunday afternoon, I’d wear my uniform to church that morning, then head straight to the game," she wrote.

While she didn’t have a deeply personal faith early on, that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.