Lessons Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Learned at Kentucky

by:Nick Roush•about 9 hours•

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins an Olympic Gold Medal, via Andrew Nelles / USA TODAY NETWORK

Before she was a four-time Olympic Gold Medalist. Before she dominated hurdling events at the World Championships. Years before she broke her own record in the 400 hurdles almost a dozen times, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was a Kentucky student-athlete who was learning how to do her laundry for the first time.

Following a summer in Paris where she showed she’s arguably the most dominant female athlete in the world, McLaughlin-Levrone returned to her Old Kentucky Home to be inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Like rifle sensation Henrik Larsen, McLaughlin-Levrone was one of two one-and-done phenoms in this year’s class of six.

Even though she did not have all of the accolades, she arrived in Lexington with high expectations. The pressure is unimaginable to comprehend for an Average Joe, yet she still was going through the same things Average Joes go through as college freshmen.

“There were significant moments of growth, of joy that could never be replaced,” she said Friday night at the UK Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “There were people, many of which are sitting in this room, that are more than I can explain, in terms of friendship. Teammates that went through the trenches of college track with me and counselors and mentors who were a haven during that time.

“My year here was hard, I’m not gonna act like it wasn’t, as it is for many college athletes all over the country, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, honestly.”

McLaughlin-Levrone was challenged at Kentucky. She dedicated an entire chapter of her book to the experience in Lexington. If it looked tough from the outside, you sure couldn’t tell

In 2017-18 she was the NCAA Champion in the 400 hurdles and set a record in the event while winning the SEC Championship. You name it, she did it during her brief time at Kentucky. She thanked her parents for convincing her to take the plunge and spend a year in college, even if she didn’t leave Lexington with a diploma.

“I would not be the woman I am, had I not attended UK,” she said. “Though with only one year under my belt, I do not have a degree. Sorry, Mom. I learned more than I could have imagined.”