"We are competitive by nature”- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about sharing athlete mindset with husband Andre

American track and field athlete Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once opened up about how her husband, Andre Levrone, has become her biggest supporter and anchor during moments of pressure. Andre is also an athlete, having played for three NFL teams before retiring from football in 2020.

On the other hand, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who made her Olympic debut in 2016 in the 400m hurdles, has redefined her event over the years. She became the first woman to run under 52 seconds in the 400 metres hurdles and has broken her own world record multiple times. Her most recent mark, 50.37s, was set at the 2024 Paris Games. Now, she aims to break 50 s.

In an interview with Forbes in February 2022, following her Tokyo Olympics win, McLaughlin-Levrone shared how grateful she was that Andre shared the athlete mindset and supported her training.

“I am beyond grateful that Andre can relate to the life and mentality of a professional athlete. He has added a tremendous amount of insight and encouragement to my training. Of course, we are competitive by nature, so a race is definitely in our future at some point!" she said.

She also spoke about the mental strength and discipline required to reach the Olympic level:

Training your whole life for moments, minutes, even seconds, is something not many people will understand. For me, it has taught me to persevere in ways I never thought I could in order to build the character needed to make it to that next level.”

The couple got married the year after the Tokyo Olympics, in 2022, at Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, Virginia.

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"Every day is like a learning experience" - When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about sacrifices after marriage

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Andre met during the COVID period, and from the start, their relationship was rooted in faith. The couple got married after two years of dating, having first connected through Bible study.

In a conversation with Today in January 2024, McLaughlin-Levrone reflected on how marriage transformed her. She described it as the "biggest sanctification tool", revealing personal flaws and pushing her to grow.

“Every day is like a learning experience, especially being married. I say marriage is the biggest sanctification tool. Being able to just be like, ‘OK, what in my life does not reflect Christ?’ I’m actually selfish. I actually have certain tendencies that aren’t the best for marriage, and so I think every day is just being pruned,” she said.

It was also during the COVID period that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s deep religious conviction took hold, making her Christian faith the cornerstone of her life.

Edited by Rupesh