Josephus Lyles opens up about overcoming feelings of guilt and comparison to his brother Noah Lyles as he strives to carve his own path in athletics.
Noah Lyles’ younger brother Josephus has opened up about the feelings of guilt he had and the lack of appreciation for his brother and how he managed to overcome that and walk his journey.
Josephus Lyles revealed that at the 2019 World Championships, he felt like he deserved to have made the team due to the work he had put in but his brother was the only one from his family to make the cut to the US team.
At the trials, Josephus could not make the final of the 400m after finishing eighth in the semifinal. On his part, Noah Lyles won the 200m at the trials and proceeded to the championships where he claimed his first gold medal.
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The 26-year-old explained that at the moment, he did not know whether to celebrate his brother on his achievement or feel bad because he wanted that moment to be his.
However, with time, he learnt that he is his person and that life would not be in his favour all the time. Josephus admitted that it took some time since watching his brother achieve greater milestones than him was a huge bother.
He always questioned why his brother would always emerge on the op despite having done the same training, diet and all that was needed for him to triumph.
“He has excelled in track and field, just as soon as he turned professional and I have encountered some issues. It’s definitely hard…I remember in the 2019 World Championships in Doha where I did not go,” Josephus admitted in an interview with NBC’s Mary Omatiga.
“I was very devastated and I remember watching him on TV and that year, I think not making the team really flipped a switch in my head and I was like I don’t need to compare myself to other people.
“At that moment, I was comparing myself to Noah and wondering why I was not making it and we were doing the same training. I felt like I deserved to be there and I switched my mentality to know that I don’t necessarily deserve anything.”
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He revealed that growing up, he was always a fast learner and did very well both in school and on the track and his brother Noah Lyles was the complete opposite.
Josephus added that he thought things would continue that way but was slapped with the harsh reality after they turned professional since Noah Lyles seemed to excel right after the milestone.
“Me and my brother Noah Lyles are very close and we have definitely had a lot of different journeys and I think it’s interesting that my mum always says that when were in school, I would always excel very well and I was very intelligent,” Josephus said.
“I picked up on traditional learning very well, it wasn’t hard for me to succeed in that and I was just very athletic as well. I feel like while Noah had a harder time with traditional learning, he has some learning disabilities and you know, it was very difficult for him. However, in this season of our lives, it feels kind of the opposite.”
Josephus continues to try his shot on the global stage and make a name for himself just like his brother Noah Lyles has done.
At the 2024 US Olympic trials, Josephus failed to make the final in both the 100m and 200m as his brother continued soaring high, winning both titles. He went on to win the 100m and settle for bronze in the 200m at the Paris Olympic Games.
