An Olympic athlete hopes to encourage her fans to reject perfectionism and asserts that “the only perfect one is Christ.” Hurdler and gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who’s well-known for thanking God after breaking world records during trials leading up to the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, as well as during the competition itself, recently discussed her upcoming book, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, in an interview with The Christian Post.
In her interview, Levrone explained the title of her book, emphasizing how “it’s not about medals or records or titles; all of those are going to perish.” Instead, she said, “The one thing that’s unchanging is my faith in Christ, and that is the most valuable thing.” She defined her life’s purpose as “being able to share that truth with people and allow them to come to know and love the Lord in the way in which I have come to know and love.”
Levrone continued, “God has been so kind in just allowing me the opportunity to, first of all, fail without Him and realize my need for Him,” she said. “Living my life for so long apart from Him and trying to succeed in a worldly measure of what success looks like, it always left me empty even when I attained it.” She characterized perfection as “unattainable in this life,” urging readers to “always strive for excellence” and “always strive to do things in a manner worthy of the calling of God.”
She added, “At the end of the day, we are fallen, sinful humans who will fall short in this life. In trying to attain perfection, we’re diminishing the need for Christ. In appreciating Him as our Savior, we humble ourselves to realize that we are not perfect.” The Olympic gold medalist continued, The Lord is sufficient in all things, and being able to glorify Him through my career and through my life on the track has shown me a purpose bigger than myself. Being able to share the Gospel in those moments is what it’s all about. The point is being able to show that even in what should be the pinnacle of your career as an athlete is actually about Him.”
View this post on Instagram
Levrone described “the joy in all of it” as “getting to direct the eyes and attention to Christ.” She identified “seasons of uncertainty or doubt” as “the times where we actually have the most opportunity to glorify God.” The newly married Levrone praised her husband as someone who “leads me in a very godly way and always is reminding me of where we serve and where we’re planted.” She identified her husband as a “big tool” in helping her grow spiritually: “He actually helped disciple me to a degree. He was a huge part in that, and we started as friends doing Bible study and getting to know each other. But the foundation of our relationship was built on the Lord.”
Levrone detailed how, before meeting her husband, she convinced herself that she didn’t need a man in her life. However, she told CP she’s “grateful that God brought him my way.” The famous athlete also recalled how she used to solely place her identity on how she performed in track and field, which she described as “very unstable and always changing.” She expressed gratitude that God opened her eyes “to the Gospel and the truth,” giving her the ability to “have that firm foundation in Christ as that cornerstone.”
The athlete acknowledged that she was “still growing” while remarking that “God has truly progressed me through my life.” Levrone concluded the interview by discussing how she relied on her faith in God when competing in the first race that caused her to experience international notoriety: “I was just truly giving it to Him and giving it up to Him to not be afraid of what was going to come. And He allowed me to run so freely that it resulted in that time.” Far Beyond Gold, scheduled for release on Jan. 30, is available for pre-order.