Sydney McLaughlin knows about facing down obstacles. She has mastered not only racing over hurdles on the track but also tackling challenges in her personal life—from lifelong battles with perfectionism and anxiety to persistent questions about her identity and whether she was "enough."
Her pursuit of perfection and people-pleasing continued for years until God broke into her story with his overwhelming grace, transforming love, and empowering truth.
In Far Beyond Gold, Sydney will share aspects of her life story and personhood she has never shared publicly before, offering a more complex picture of who she is. She will inspire you to:
Experience the story of a woman who shifted from anxiety to boldness, from limits to freedom, and from perfectionism to purpose—and now shows the world that often what we think is impossible is possible with God.
Sydney McLaughlin -Two-time Olympic gold medalist and world record–holding American sprinter and hurdler. In 2016, she made history at age 16 as the youngest US Olympian to compete in track and field since 1972 and set a junior world record in the 400m hurdles at the Olympic team trials. McLaughlin cemented herself as a track superstar in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by winning a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles, breaking the world record with a 51.46-second time, and winning a gold medal for the 4x400-meter relay. In 2022, McLaughlin again broke the 400-meter hurdle record and won a gold medal at the Track and Field World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She ran a mind-blowing 50.68 seconds, becoming the first woman to ever run the race under 51 seconds, making it the fourth time in two years she’d broken the world record. McLaughlin was named one of 2022 World Athletics’ Athletes of the Year. Prior to her professional career, McLaughlin competed at the University of Kentucky and was the Gatorade National High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year for two consecutive years. McLaughlin was born in Dunellen, New Jersey, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Andre Levrone Jr.