For years, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone measured time in races, seasons, and records. This year, she learned to measure it differently. Away from the track and preparing for motherhood, the Olympic champion found herself watching the sport she loves from a completely new angle.
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McLaughlin-Levrone recently opened up about that transformation, reflecting on everything from watching her body change during pregnancy to spending an entire season as a spectator. Her journey eventually led to the arrival of her daughter, Savannah Michelle Levrone, whom she and her husband Andre welcomed in July. “This past year of my life has been the most unusual I have ever experienced,” McLaughlin-Levrone wrote on Instagram.
She described seeing her body become “bigger,” “slower,” and “more fragile,” but also “more purposeful than ever.”
That change extended well beyond the physical. For the first full season in years, McLaughlin-Levrone did not compete. Instead, she watched from her couch, discovering something she rarely had the chance to experience while chasing medals and records: being a fan.
“I got to be a fan, and the sport I love so much looked different from this angle… it looked like art,” she reflected.
For an athlete accustomed to controlling every detail of preparation, the pregnancy brought a different lesson. McLaughlin-Levrone admitted that while the competitor in her wanted to return as soon as she was cleared, the mother in her wanted to hold on to every fleeting moment.
“Most of all, it was so tangible just how much this life is out of my control,” she wrote, referring to her healing, her daughter’s development, and even the uncertainty surrounding her return to the oval.
And that uncertainty, rather than frightening her, has brought her a sense of peace. “Yet I’m finding contentment in that,” McLaughlin-Levrone added, trusting that God’s plan would unfold in its own time.
Her words resonated with fellow athletes. Olympic champion Allyson Felix responded with heart emojis, while steeplechase star Emma Coburn wrote, “You’re such a good mama ❤️.”
The comments came after McLaughlin-Levrone and Andre announced the birth of Savannah on July 12. The couple shared black-and-white photographs cradling their daughter, with McLaughlin-Levrone calling her “our blessing and our joy.”
The arrival marked another chapter in a relationship that began years before parenthood. The couple married at Early Mountain Vineyards in Virginia in May 2022, and announced their pregnancy in January with McLaughlin-Levrone writing, “Made a human with my favorite human.”
Yet even before Savannah arrived, the 27-year-old had made it clear that motherhood would not mean walking away from athletics. Instead, she saw it as a different kind of race.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone sees motherhood bringing a new perspective
McLaughlin-Levrone has previously spoken about returning to competition with LA 2028 in mind. Her perspective on that comeback, however, has remained measured rather than rushed.
“This is a new type of race I’m running. It’s more of a marathon, not a sprint,” she told USA TODAY earlier this year, explaining that she hoped motherhood would mature her both on and off the track.
McLaughlin-Levrone has never hidden how much becoming a mother meant to her. Even before Savannah arrived, she viewed the next stage of her life as something that could reshape the way she approaches athletics. Rather than seeing motherhood and competition as separate worlds, she hoped her daughter would one day see the work behind the medals and records.
“So, being able to do this, and have my daughter hopefully see me continue to strive for excellence on the track, really excited to just inspire her and hopefully have a different type of motivation that gets me excited to continue to chase my goals,” McLaughlin-Levrone told USA TODAY.
That motivation comes after a remarkable 2025 season in which she stepped away from the 400m hurdles and conquered the flat 400m. She won the world title in Tokyo in 47.78 seconds, setting a U.S. record and producing the second-fastest time ever recorded in the event.
Still, McLaughlin-Levrone does not want her comeback defined solely by another record. The 400m world record of 47.60 seconds remains within the realm of possibility, but she has repeatedly stressed that she will allow the performance to come naturally.
“I think records come when they’re supposed to come,” she said. “When the preparation’s there, when the motivation is there, and when everything comes into alignment, that’s when those kinds of things happen.”
For now, LA 2028 offers a special possibility. The Games will return to the United States, and McLaughlin-Levrone has already spoken about how meaningful it would be to compete at home with Savannah watching.
But she is not putting a deadline on the journey back. Pregnancy, postpartum recovery and training will all determine the pace.
Her father, Willie McLaughlin, is equally curious to see what comes next. He has pointed to other athletes who returned from pregnancy and achieved remarkable things, saying the family is excited to see what “post-pregnancy Sydney” will look like.
For McLaughlin-Levrone, though, the biggest change may have already happened. The athlete who once measured everything by seconds now has another reason to chase excellence – and someday, her daughter may be watching from the stands.