Sydney won two gold medals in the 2020 Olympics, which she successfully defended at the Paris Games this month. Of course, there should be no question about her skill. But as the 25-year-old admits, it wasn’t always the case.

McLaughlin-Levrone discusses how she had to get over her dismal eight-year-ago 17th-place performance at the Rio event in her book Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith, which was published earlier this year. She says sincerely, “Maybe I had the physical gifts to make it to the finals or maybe even win a medal in Rio, but I was not mentally prepared to do what it was going to take.” But she also realized that she was looking directly at an opportunity that many athletes had dreamed of having in their lives.

I had to admit that, in spite of the obstacles, my coaches, my family, and I were still pursuing our Olympic dream. In order to enjoy it, we had to set aside some time, says McLaughlin-Levrone. Keeping that in mind, she ignored her personal problems in an attempt to seize the moment, and she had everyone nearby to watch the action take place. As she emphasizes how the trip from high school to the biggest stage was an amazing one for all of them, Sydney writes in her book, “Spending time with my high school coaches truly made me feel less bad about my actions in the semifinal.

The underlying ideas, therefore, could not be completely disregarded. The four-time Olympic gold medallist says, The thought that loomed in the back of my mind was that I had some growing up to do. She is undoubtedly the phenomenon she is today because of her unwavering resolve to overcome her hardships.