Two-time Olympic gold medalist track and field athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone chatted about her latest endeavors and her new book “Far Beyond Gold.”
A native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, McLaughlin-Levrone specializes in both the 400 meter and 400 meter hurdles races, as well as the relays. She is the Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400 meter hurdles.
McLaughlin-Levrone participated in an in-person press event on Saturday, June 8th at Icahn Stadium.
She noted that at this NYC Grand Prix meet, she will be taking the hurdles away, and competing in the 400 meter sprint.
On Sunday, June 9th, she finished in first place in the women’s 400 meter race, thus clocking 48.75 seconds, which is a world lead mark.
“My family and my friends will be at this meet; it will feel like a reunion,” she noted. “I am definitely excited to be here. I want to get a fast race in and an open 400 meters.”
‘Far Beyond Gold’ book
Earlier this year, McLaughlin-Levrone released her autobiography Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, where she recounted her life and experiences from the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials up until last year’s outdoor season.
Regarding her inspiration to write this book, she remarked, “The opportunity presented itself, and it was a great chance for me to share my testimony to encourage athletes, and I wasn’t going to let that pass me up. I was grateful to have that opportunity, and hopefully, it will inspire other athletes.”
On the lessons learned from this book, she shared, “It showed me how far I’ve come as a person and as an athlete, and it was really cool to reflect on my childhood and getting to this point. I am grateful for the journey thus far.”
Does she enjoy running the 400 meters or the 400 meter hurdles better?
When asked if she likes running flat or hurdles better, she responded, “Honestly, they are different. I like them both for different reasons. In hurdles, you need to make sure that the steps are where they are supposed to be, so it is definitely an adjustment. Being able to get the speed up does definitely help.”
Praising the younger generation of track and field athletes
She praised the younger generation of track and field athletes for Team USA. “This is such an amazing group,” she said.
“I don’t know if there is a ceiling, to be honest. The possibilities are endless of what can happen. We are getting younger and younger, and faster and faster. It is really cool to see these young athletes come in and be pros before their time, so there is no celling,” she elaborated.
“The first Olympics was just getting experience,” she reflected. “There is so much you don’t know until you get there. I am really grateful for that experience even if it wasn’t my favorite performance-wise.”
“Far Beyond Gold” is available on Amazon by clicking here.
For more information on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, follow her on Instagram.
