If you know me, you probably know that when it comes to sports, my first love has always been gymnastics. I loved to watch it on TV and my parents would say that I was flippin’ and floppin’ all over the place. When I was 8-years old, we moved to a new house, and I absolutely loved our living room. Where I am pretty sure my mom saw a room that desperately needed to be filled with furniture, I saw it as a gymnastics floor diagonal on which to tumble. And tumble I did! This led my parents to enroll me in gymnastics with the quickness!
But then came Mr. O’Haver’s gym class at Crooked Creek Elementary School through which I was introduced to “Field Day”. I discovered that I could run fast and jump far and so began my (second) love affair with track & field. I ran track in middle school, high school, and college. I coached middle school girls and high school boys track & field. I even worked at USA Track & Field-my dream job where I met and worked with Olympic legends like Mike Conley, Madeline Manning Mims, Willie Banks, Joetta Clark Diggs, and Ralph Boston. Needless to say, track & field has made an indelible mark on life!
Unfortunately, I have also battled fear and anxiety. So, when I learned that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 2020 (2021) Olympic women’s 400m hurdles champion and current world record holder, was publishing a memoir about overcoming fear and anxiety, I could not wait to read it. Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith details Sydney’s life from summer 2016 through summer 2022. In her words, “Those six years depict my life’s encounter with profound grace. Freedom. Hope for the future.” (p. x)
Sydne’s story begins as a 16-year-old Olympic hopeful. While the average teenager is not vying for an Olympic medal, there are some things that are germane to adolescence and coming of age. So, teenagers and young adults will definitely relate to her story in many regards. And let me add, one does not have to be a track & field fanatic to appreciate her story. Initially, older women who do not have a track background may not be drawn to her story, but please do not let that discourage you from reading it. Where one may not be familiar with all of the track “lingo”, she does an excellent job of explaining things. She goes on to share that while she was reared by Christian parents who made it a priority for the family to attend church regularly, her relationship with God was really nonexistent as a teenager. It was not until she faced increased fear, anxiety, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, that she began to seek a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Savior. When she surrendered her life to Christ, everything changed. Her focus changed from living for herself and the things of this world, to living to please/glorify the Lord. She now understands that God has given her the gift to run fast as a platform to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. She talks about her battles to replace fear with faith. And surprisingly, this has not been a neatly packaged 3-step-and-repeat solution. Overcoming fear, anxiety, and perfectionism has involved her reading/studying God’s Word; working to stand on God’s Word during times when anxiety seeks to revisit, prayer, listening to sermons and Christ-centered music, as well as sharing her burdens with trusted family and friends who in turn encourage her. She shares the love story of her and her husband, Andre-how God brought them together. Regarding their marriage, she said, “There were a thousand reasons we wanted to get married. At the top was the opportunity to love each other so people would have a picture, however small, of how God loves his people”.
I really enjoyed this book. As she went through the play-by-plays of the different races in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, I found myself pausing and going to YouTube to re-watch them. I recommend this book for younger and older women alike as I believe that both groups will be encouraged by her story-to seek and surrender everything to God. You may not be training to set a world record in track or any other sport, but I am fairly sure you can certainly relate to battling fear and anxiety at one time or another. The words of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone show us that victory over it is attainable, but more than that, she points us to the One who makes it possible. I hope you’ll check it out.
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