“I Cannot Handle Extended Coaching” — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Shares the Sincere Reason She Selected Faithfulness Against
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone talked about the sacrifices she made on a personal and professional level to maintain her career and connection with coach Bob Kersee.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, has demonstrated once more that making the correct decisions off the track is just as important to success in track and field as physical prowess.
One of the hardest decisions McLaughlin-Levrone had to make during her career was how to reconcile her personal life with the demands of training under her well-known coach, Bob Kersee. She discusses this decision in her new book, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.
The path to Olympic glory for McLaughlin-Levrone was not without hardship, particularly while navigating her marriage to NFL player Andre Levrone.
Their relationship was put to the test as they pursued difficult occupations on opposite sides of the nation—Andre worked in commercial real estate in Baltimore, while Sydney received training in Los Angeles.
“Andre and I had to choose where to reside in addition to navigating our relationships with our families. According to McLaughlin-Levrone’s book, “this decision introduced new kinds of uncertainty, frustrations, a few disagreements with Andre, and temptations to fear.”
The pair found it challenging to establish a common ground because they lived and worked in different time zones, especially since McLaughlin-Levrone found it impossible to keep her tight working relationship with Kersee.
Renowned track and field coach Kersee has trained some of the best athletes in history.
But as McLaughlin-Levrone recommended a long-distance coaching arrangement, he made it plain that his worldview is founded on practical, everyday engagement.
“If I want to get the best out of you, I have to be with you every day,” Kersee told her, a position that would require McLaughlin-Levrone to make a difficult choice. “I can’t do long-distance coaching,” Kersee said to her.
The couple briefly contemplated moving to Arizona, where Andre had secured employment.
Though this appeared to be a possible middle ground, it was soon apparent that the practical obstacles to her continuing her training with Kersee were too great to overcome.
The plan just didn’t hold up, even after several tries to make it work with Kersee traveling to Arizona.
“It became evident that things weren’t going as planned after Bob made a few attempts to fly down to Arizona to train the Olympian,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.
When McLaughlin-Levrone had to decide between her work and her relationship, she knew what had to be done.
Ultimately, McLaughlin-Levrone went back to Los Angeles, and Andre chose to give up his career and move back with her out of selflessness.
Although it wasn’t the only occasion she had to adjust to Kersee’s demanding training schedule, it was a crucial period in her professional life. And the outcomes demonstrate that it was a wise decision.
Fans have frequently criticized McLaughlin-Levrone for keeping a low profile between major contests while under Kersee’s direction.
Kersee, though, has defended his strategy, saying that his first goal is to make sure McLaughlin-Levrone is as healthy and productive as possible.
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