Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone may be a dominant force nowadays, but she once struggled with anxiety issues that left her having to rely on sleeping pills and anti-depressants.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is widely celebrated for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, with six world records and an Olympic title to her name by the age of 25.
Yet, behind the accolades lies a deeply personal journey—one that saw her battling anxiety and searching for meaning before turning to her faith.
Her struggles began in 2019, after a heartbreaking defeat at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Despite an impressive time of 52.23 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles final, she finished second behind Dalilah Muhammad, who set a new world record.
McLaughlin-Levrone had been a force that season, securing victories at Diamond League meets in Oslo, Monaco, and Zurich, but the loss stung deeply.
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Determined to move past the disappointment, she refocused on the 2020 season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic upended those plans, leaving her isolated and grappling with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.
“I had no clue where to turn”
In her memoir Far Beyond Gold, McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about reaching a breaking point.
“With no clue where to turn or what to do about my anxiety, fear, and loneliness, I called a psychologist I found online,” she wrote.
Their first session lasted forty-five minutes, but the prescribed solution left her stunned.
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“At the end of the call, the psychologist’s remedy for my anguish came in the most unexpected form: sleeping pills and antidepressants,” she recalled.
When she picked up the prescription, reality sank in.
“I remember going to the pharmacy, picking up the pills, driving back to my apartment, and holding the two bottles in my hand. I could not believe this was what it had come to. This was her answer for me.”
Though she longed for relief, McLaughlin-Levrone wrestled with the idea of masking her struggles rather than addressing them at the root.
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“Of all the tough times and disappointments I’d experienced during the past five years, this was the lowest of the low points. There has to be a better way to deal with my problems, I thought. Medicine can’t be the only answer. I want to fix my problems, not mask them.”
Sydney’s turning point
During the pandemic, with competitions on hold, she had time to reflect. In that stillness, she cried out, “God, I need you. There is no way I will heal from all this unless it is with you,” she told CBN News.
She began reading the Bible more intentionally, and one passage in particular—Colossians 3—stood out.
“It really flipped the switch for me in terms of my thinking and how I saw everything.The gospel finally made sense.
“I realized that in and of myself, I had nothing to offer God. It’s just the righteousness of Jesus covering my life based on my faith that makes me presentable before Him.”
Since then, McLaughlin-Levrone has openly credited her faith for transforming her perspective—not just in life, but in her athletic career as well.
