"Making sure no one could catch me"- When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about taking inspiration from Muhammad Ali as a young athlete

By Adityan Pillai

Modified Nov 21, 2024 03:06 GMT

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up being inspired by Muhammad Ali as a young athlete. The American revealed how her father would always motivate her with a quote by the legendary athlete instead of a speech before her races.

Growing up in a family of athletes, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone got into the sport at a very early age. She expressed how her parents never pressured her to take up the sport professionally, but wanted her to be active as a child. The American athlete was trained by her father until middle school and revealed her father's training methodology was completely different from other coaches.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about her childhood in detail in her book ' Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith'. The 27-year-old revealed how her father was always soft-spoken and encouraging during training sessions. Revealing how her father would motivate her before races using a quote by the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali she said:

"His only strategy was for me to run faster than everyone else. Of course, we would discuss running mechanics, but they seemed to be second nature for me. While other coaches might give a stirring pre-race speech or go over strategy one more time, Dad would just look at me, smile, and say, “Syd, be the butterfly.” Dad’s inspiration was Muhammad Ali’s famous phrase, 'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'" she wrote.

"To me, “be the butterfly” in Ali’s phrase meant quickness, lightness, freedom, and joy. It meant stepping on the track and making sure no one could catch me," she added.

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on her parent's support during her early days as a track athlete

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 14 - Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone spoke about receiving a lot of support from her parents as a young athlete. Growing up in an athletic house made her inherently competitive. However, her parents' approach toward the sport helped her excel without any pressure.

The American athlete revealed how her parents did not push her through rigorous training routines but rather encouraged her to enjoy the sport while focusing on basic aspects like running mechanics.

"I think my parents, I credit them so much for how they handled my young years. They didn’t want to overwhelm me with rigorous training at a young age," she said.

"They really wanted me to grow and develop number one, my body, and number two my love for the sport naturally. Not because they wanted to force me into anything, not because I had some coach who wanted me to go win Nationals. It was very much so, “If you love this, if you want to do this, great,” she added.

This approach helped her to develop a strong passion for the sport which eventually played a huge role in shaping her career as an athlete.