August 11, 2024: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is an amazing human being.
The above title was chosen for good reason. It’s not meant to take away from what Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has done thus far in her athletic career, that is widely-known. But, it’s meant to show what’s more important in life and that she hasn’t been affected by the fame. We saw it then in her high school days and wondered if things would change. But, it’s even more so evident today now that she has reached new heights. She is an all-around amazing human and we wanted to just shine a subtle spotlight on that “human.”
In 2017, Keystone Sports Extra had the opportunity to photograph and interview Sydney McLaughlin at the Millrose Games in New York City. At the time, Sydney was a senior in high school at Union Catholic located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey and the top high school track athlete in the country. What we saw in and learned from Sydney that day in New York, and we continue to see today, is that she is not only a phenomenal athlete, but more important, a courageous, humble, and mature human being.
Do people change over time? Yes, they do. Would Sydney allow the fame to change her over time, as many do? The answer so far is, no way!
Sydney has just finished competing in her second Olympics. This week, she defended her two gold medals from the Tokyo Games in 2020 by again winning the 400 meter hurdles, as well as running a leg on the winning 4x100 meter relay team, both in dominating fashion. She set a new World Record in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 50.37 seconds, beating her own previous record. The 4x100 relay team (Shamier Little, Gabby Thomas, and Alexis Holmes), with Sydney running the second leg, also set a new American record in 3:15.27.
In her interview on Thursday after winning the gold medal in the hurdles, with a huge smile on her face, Sydney gave all the credit to “the Grace of God.” She continued by saying: “Honestly, all of it towards Him, I’m just doing the work He called me to do and He helps me every single time. He’s given me a gift.” She also thanked her competition in the hurdles, Anna Cokrell from the USA and Femke Bol from the Netherlands, for “pushing her” and that all of them have put this event in the spotlight and will continue on to reach 49 seconds.
In light of how the Olympics opened this year, and the darkness overall in society today, Sydney did not shy away from showing her true self. She has always been professional in her actions and goes about her work. She’s not flashy or attention seeking and that says a lot about her personality. In a world today in which stars get arrogant and cocky and become different people, Sydney has stayed consistent doing the right thing.
When Sydney was asked how she performs the best in big moments, she said: “Honestly, I think my faith is the biggest factor. Just trusting the Lord and trusting the plan he has for me. It doesn’t always guarantee things are gonna go amazing. But I just give all the Honor and Glory to Him every time I step on the track. I’m amazed with what He is doing in my life.”
Sydney’s comments about God, among many other competitors who did the same, such as Cindy Sember, Yemisi Ogunleye, Aaron Brooks, and Rayssa Leal, showed that for an otherwise blasphemous Olympics opening ceremony, there are Christians who are not afraid to praise their God.
So many stars today have two different personalities. The one that they portray to the public, which is too often fake, and the one they actually are behind closed doors. Many do not have the courage or strength to be who they actually are all the time. A Latin term I found some time ago and believe in says it all about Sydney and the others who remain steadfast in their ways: “Esse Quam Videri,” basically meaning that it’s more important to actually be, instead of to be seen as such.
Michael Schwarz of the Western Journal also wrote in a piece he did on August 9, 2024: John the Apostle recorded a promise that allows us to boldly confront the evils of worldliness: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5).
The below photo shows Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone running out front, as a senior in high school, at the 2017 Millrose Games in New York City. She is the same person now as she was then in this photo. Willie and Mary, Sydney’s parents, deserve a lot of credit for raising and supporting all their amazing children. Don’t ever change!
