Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Calls New Book ‘Opportunity to Share My Testimony’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Multi-time track and field Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone joined Sports Spectrum’s podcast to discuss her new book, “Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith.”
In 2016, McLaughlin-Levrone “made history at age 16 as the youngest U.S. Olympian to compete in track and field since 1972. At the 2021 Tokyo Games, she cemented herself as a track superstar by winning a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles, breaking the world record (51.46 seconds), and later winning gold in the 4x400m relay,” Sports Spectrum reported.
“After Tokyo, an opportunity was presented of a way to kind of share my faith and my testimony that coincides with my life on the track,” McLaughlin-Levrone began, explaining the book’s origin. “Though at 24, I feel I only have so much life I can share with people. It was an opportunity to kind of share my testimony and kind of help encourage someone else who is kind of dealing with that debilitating fear in their life and having that hold them back from what the Lord has for them.”
In September, she opened up about why she wrote her book.
“I figured it was time to start writing all of this down, so I’ve poured my heart out into a book about my faith journey and my experience fighting anxiety and perfectionism,” she posted on Instagram. “You’ll see how much my self-worth and identity have shifted in the process of finding that I can do nothing apart from God.”
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Now, McLaughlin-Levrone is getting ready for the 2024 Olympics, but she’s preparing differently than she did for the last two she competed in.
“I think I was telling someone just a little earlier that this season of life has been very humbling,” she expressed. “Just the past few years, so much change took place. Great change, everything I am grateful for. But I think I became a little bit comfortable in that and a little bit stagnant.”
“I think just this past season of being injured, not being able to perform at my best and really having to lean on the Lord in all of these was just a great reminder that not everything is going to be perfect,” she continued. “Not everything is going to go your way. You’re going to face trials of many kinds but showing the genuine of your faith like James 1 talks about is how I’ve been preparing for all of this. Whatever next year brings, I am going to stick to the same script of going out there to honor and glorify Him and leaving it all out there on the track, and whatever happens, happens.”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s book releases on Jan. 30.
Moveiguide® previously reported:
Olympic track and field gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone reveals how God helped her overcome fear and anxiety in her upcoming book, “Far Beyond Gold.”
In a video posted on Instagram, she shared why she wrote the book.
“Hey guys! So, the release date of ‘Far Beyond Gold’ is quickly approaching,” she began. “January 30, it is out. And I just wanted to come on really quick and talk about why I wanted to write this book in the first place. I just turned 24 years old, and I felt like, ‘I don’t really feel like I have some amazing story to share in terms of long-lived life experience.’”
“But what I did feel like was relatable – I feel like everyone goes through some sort of fear. Goes through some sort of anxiety wanting to please people or perform to a certain standard or even just reach the personal goal we set for ourselves,” she continued. “The reality is that we all fall short. I think this book kind of just gives and inside look into how truly the Lord has transformed my heart in that.”
“I hope that it encourages others on their walk and faith and in their life,” she concluded. “It’s just a deeper dive into who Sydney is because I know social media gives some sort of a glimpse, track and field gives a little less of a glimpse, but I think this was definitely an opportunity to just be honest about me, about my life, about how I’ve gotten to where I am, and what the Lord has done. So, I hope this encourages you.”
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