"I felt so dumb and unintelligent" - Noah Lyles claims he felt 'stupid' at school before finding interest in track and field

By Marie Amani

Modified Aug 26, 2024 17:37 GMT

American sprinter Noah Lyles is a six-time World Champion and an Olympic gold medallist at 27 years of age. The athlete recently opened up about his drive and goals in sports, hoping to make an impact in the sprinting world.

Lyle's journey to the top was not smooth sailing and he fought many serious situations to reach where he is today.

After winning the men’s 100m title at the Paris Olympics, he opened up about the battles he conquered to become champion. In the race, Lyles finished in a stunning 9.79 seconds to win gold ahead of Kishane Thompson and Fred Kerley came in second and third in 9.79s and 9.81s respectively.

In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Noah Lyles noted that he puts in all the effort on the track for his younger self. The three-time world 200m champion disclosed that growing up, he felt dumb. He opened up about receiving all sorts of labels while he was trying to find his path in school.

The 27-year-old added that after discovering his talent, life became a bit easier. He expressed that for once in his lifetime, he felt he was good at something. However, navigating at the time was an uphill task for the triple-world champion, who had to defy the odds stacked against him.

"I was hoping to inspire the younger me. I remember those times when I was going through school and I felt so dumb and so unintelligent because you know, I have dyslexia and ADD and I struggled to take tests and I just felt so stupid being in that environment. Later coming out of that environment and learning that I have all these beautiful skills and the way that I attack problems is seen as unorthodox but very wanted," Lyles expressed.

"You know it was very weird for me to have that huge shift and even having these talents as a track and field athlete you know at the time you just seemed like a dumb joke. Having these labels put on you as a child was very hard because you don’t even know what you want to be yet. But having that idea that no matter what I become, I know that it’s not always going to be hard and just because it is hard, it doesn’t mean that I can’t shoot for the stars."

Noah Lyles shares inspiring message after winning men's 100m Olympic title

Noah Lyles has opened many doors with his 100m Olympic gold medal (IMAGE: Getty)

After his triumph in the men’s 100m final at the Paris Olympic Games, Lyles penned a heartfelt message to encourage youngsters on the track.

He shared a post on his X handle, detailing the challenges he faced and how he went past them to claim the Olympic title.

"I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!" Lyles shared.

At the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 and hence, could not compete in the men’s 4x100m relay. In the men’s 200m, Lyles finished third behind Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek.