'Rejection made me question everything'- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on moving beyond heartbreak

‘Rejection made me question everything’- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on moving beyond heartbreak

American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone narrates her emotional journey of heartbreak, self-doubt, and rediscovery, sharing how a painful rejection shaped her path toward inner growth and newfound purpose in life.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has achieved unparalleled success on the track but behind the glittering accolades lies a deeply personal story of heartbreak, insecurity and self-discovery.

In her memoir Far Beyond Gold, the track and field sensation opens up about the emotional turbulence she faced, especially in 2016 and 2019, as she grappled with losses both on and off the track.

In 2016, Sydney experienced a double dose of heartbreak where at the World Athletics Championships

She narrowly lost to Dalilah Muhammad by a mere 0.07 seconds.

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Off the track, an attempt to rekindle a past romance left her reeling.

Flying to one of her high school boyfriend’s college football games, Sydney hoped they could rekindle their connection.

Instead, when she asked if they could get back together, his blunt reply—“I don’t think so”—crushed her hopes.

On the flight home, she found herself replaying the painful moment, asking, “Did I just lose twice?”

Despite her rapid rise to fame, Sydney couldn’t shake the gnawing sense of emptiness.

By 2019, she began to reflect on why her victories didn’t feel fulfilling.

“The Instagram followers, the money, the status—it didn’t make me happy,” she admitted.

Success, she realized, did not erase her insecurities or the pressure she felt to live up to an impossible standard.

Social media only magnified those feelings as Sydney recalls how Instagram became both a refuge and a source of torment, offering fleeting highs with likes and comments but leaving her feeling empty when posts didn’t perform.

“I let my worth be dictated by an algorithm. Where is the security in that?” she questioned.

The platform became a mirror reflecting her self-doubts as she compared herself to others online, wondering, “Was I not a real woman? Did God do me dirty in this area of life?”

To fill the void, Sydney turned to perfecting her image.

“I learned how to do my makeup, and I learned how to do it well,” she shared, describing hours spent curating the perfect shot for social media.

While she justified the effort as “building her brand,” deep down, she knew it wasn’t about marketability.

The dopamine rush of attention was short-lived, and she soon found herself chasing validation again.

“One minute you’re the craze, and the next the online crowd couldn’t care less that your dog died,” she said with poignant candor.

It was in this period of reflection and struggle that Sydney began questioning her priorities.

“Living for the approval of others left me constantly chasing an impossible standard,” she shared.

Gradually, she realized the need to stop running from God and lean into the love and purpose she had long been searching for.

Her journey took an unexpected turn when she met Andre Levrone Jr., a former NFL wide receiver, in 2021. Their love story began with a simple DM and grew into something transformative.