{"id":31548,"date":"2024-01-10T10:35:38","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T15:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=31548"},"modified":"2024-01-10T14:16:59","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T19:16:59","slug":"olympic-gold-medalist-sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-warns-against-perfectionism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/01\/olympic-gold-medalist-sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-warns-against-perfectionism.html","title":{"rendered":"Olympic Gold Medalist Sydney McLaughlin Levrone Warns Against Perfectionism"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Jrotondo1410 \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An Olympic athlete hopes to encourage her fans to reject perfectionism and asserts that \u201cthe only perfect one is Christ.\u201d Hurdler and gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who\u2019s 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<\/em>, in an interview with The Christian Post.<\/p>\n

In her interview, Levrone explained the title of her book, emphasizing how \u201cit\u2019s not about medals or records or titles; all of those are going to perish.\u201d Instead, she said, \u201cThe one thing that\u2019s unchanging is my faith in Christ, and that is the most valuable thing.\u201d She defined her life\u2019s purpose as \u201cbeing 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levrone continued, \u201cGod has been so kind in just allowing me the opportunity to, first of all, fail without Him and realize my need for Him,\u201d she said. \u201cLiving 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.\u201d She characterized perfection as \u201cunattainable in this life,\u201d urging readers to \u201calways strive for excellence\u201d and \u201calways strive to do things in a manner worthy of the calling of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cAt the end of the day, we are fallen, sinful humans who will fall short in this life. In trying to attain perfection, we\u2019re diminishing the need for Christ. In appreciating Him as our Savior, we humble ourselves to realize that we are not perfect.\u201d 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\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A post shared by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (@sydneymclaughlin16)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n