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“Cleaning Out Airducts”: Noah Lyles Opens Up on Life Before Illustrious Track and Field Career

Published 03/18/2024, 9:30 AM EDT

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Last year, Noah Lyles’s life story unfolded publicly with the NBC presented-docuseries, The Noah Lyles Project. In that series, the American sprinting champion divulged about his problem-stung childhood and the role reversal afterward. “I was just trying to survive, just trying to get through school, especially with ADHD and dyslexia and asthma”: the sentence preached by him at that time wreaked havoc in the track and field community. But his survival finesse also came to the fore. Recently in another account, Noah Lyles conceded a few more occurrences that shaped his childhood. 

In that latest conversation, the 100m world champion argued about his lineage’s role to play a certain part of his childhood. This narration also added a few more episodes to Noah’s survival instinct. 

Noah Lyles finds his moment in hard-earned pennies 

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In the March 5 episode with Erik and Wallace on Spotify, Noah Lyles shed some light on his growing-up years. While doing that, the three-peater spoke about his uncle’s role in Noah’s deed. “My uncle…he owned his own air duct cleaning company and we used to go work with them in the summer, and in the gas”, the 26-year-old sprinter said. But soon, taking everyone in a wondering mood, he stated, “We were really on top of the skyscraper you know, cleaning out air ducts and dust”. That sent jitters among the hosts, realizing the danger of the job. But, the poised athlete kept on narrating his story and eventually the reason to continue the risk at that tender age. 

via Getty

Teasing the curious bones of Frank and Wallace, Noah soon added, “We were on top of some building and it was a lot of work”. But eventually, he was chasing his dream to earn something in those early years. So, in the conversation, the champion disbursed “Then you go home, you get that cheque and you like awww, it makes it all worth day”. In that ongoing fight with the situation with a famished physique, Noah Lyles had received full-fledged help from his mother, Keisha Caine Bishop. In previous shares, both the characters admitted that the support spree and the inherent bond between them overcame all the complexities. 

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Dear mother was in the rescue 

When in childhood, Noah Lyles was fighting his battle with asthma, ADHD, and dyslexia, Keisha appeared as a blessing. She remained there to decrease the suffering of her boy. Describing that experience, Keisha once added, “At night…he could not sleep if he laid down because he couldn’t breathe correctly. So I would sit up all night and hold him so that he could fall asleep.” In later phases as well, Keisha was there with Noah when he needed her most. 

Ambitious Noah Lyles Sets Aim to Dethrone Usain Bolt in Every Possible Way

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Noah’s dream to try his feet in track and field came early – at 12 years of age. But for an early teenager, nourishing such an esteemed role was never an easy job. Meanwhile, Keisha wore the mentor’s role to keep Noah en route to his dream. “She showed me how that would look”, Noah Lyles rejoiced once. So, in his story, family played a significant role as he described.

Noah Lyles’s Coach Makes Bold Claim for 100M at Paris Olympics 2024

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Written by:

Prasun Chakrabarty

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Prasun Chakrabarty is an Olympic Sports Writer for EssentiallySports, who specializes in covering aquatic arena events. Post his experiences with popular publications including PinkVilla, Prasun began his days in ES, by actively covering two prime events - 2023 US Open Swimming Championships and the 2024 TYR Pro Swim Series. Prasun's coverage extends beyond the pool, and he takes specific interest in the progress of the triangular rivalry between track and field stars, Sha’Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. You can follow him on:-
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Edited by:

Bhujaya Ray Chowdhury